Darkness Rising
by Queen Sunstar
Summary: Every city holds a dark secret, and Miami is no exception. Horatio and his team find themselves thrown into an ancient war between light and darkness, and it is up to Horatio to end the war for good, no mater what the cost! CSINY crossover later chapters
1. Horatio as the Winged Wolf

**Queen Sunstar: Greetings! I had this story stuck in my head for quite some time, so I wrote it down. I do not own anything regarding CSI Miami, only the story below, and my own characters like Lumin. Enjoy!**

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The case started just like any other case with a phone call to the CSI lab in Miami. The CSI's went to the crime scene, which was inside an alley. The victim lay in a pool of blood, with three long scratches along her abdomen, and her throat ripped wide open. Alexx Woods examined the corpse.

"Anything, Alexx?" Lieutenant Horatio Caine stifled a yawn, trying not to let the fact that he was literally dead on his feet show.

"She was mauled by some kind of dog, Horatio. When was the last time you actually slept?" Alexx sat back on her heels to look up at her boss.

"I don't remember. Can you be more specific?" Horatio asked.

"I can't give you much more then that here." Alexx said, rising. The body was loaded into the back of her van. Eric 'Delko' Delektorsky walked up to them.

"the blood is consistent with a dog attack." He said, "I'll go alert the animal cops."

"Wait, you can alert them after we get the autopsy report from Alexx." Horatio said, hiding yet another yawn.

"Give me your keys. You are not driving while that tired." Eric ordered, his hand out.

"I'm fine, Delko." Horatio said.

"No you are not fine! You won't do anybody any good if you pass out from exhaustion! Keys, now!" Eric ordered, his voice rising.

"Delko, do you want to be suspended?" Horatio asked, his voice icy.

Alexx stepped between the two before anything happened.

"Horatio, Eric is only concerned about you, and frankly, so am I. You look like something the cat dragged in. give those keys to Delko, and let him drive you home. As your ME, I am using my power to overrule your decision." Alexx said, "Go get some rest, now."

"Yes, ma'am." Horatio handed his car keys over to Eric, and walked around his hummer to get in on the passenger side of the big car. Eric drove him home, and was picked up by Alexx, who had followed them.

Horatio had not told them why he was so tired. He walked into his bedroom, and sat on his bed. He picked up the picture of Marisol, and sighed sadly, remembering her death, and his horror to discover that she had been murdered by demonic forces over some information she had. His mind traveled to a few weeks after his discovery, to a case known as the white stone case. The white stone had gone missing from the evidence locker. Horatio knew the truth about the white stone. He had been the one handling it when it disappeared, into his own hands. He had been shocked to see his hands change into wolf paws, and feel his body changing into that of a silver wolf. Horatio remembered turning to a mirror, and seeing large white wings on his back, and a horn on his forehead. Then the door opened, and Lieutenant Frank Trip walked in. Frank had screamed like a girl when he saw the winged silver wolf in the evidence room. He had been even more shocked to watch it change back into Horatio. Horatio's mind went a few weeks further, to his first meeting with a group of beings calling themselves the Trinity, and hearing what he must do to keep Miami safe.

Horatio didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but as he woke, he did know that something was wrong. Instinctively, he went winged wolf. He trotted out of his bedroom, and went into the kitchen, and stopped short. Calliegh was standing in the center of the kitchen, worry etched on her face. She started to turn around, and he scrambled backward out of his kitchen, right into the legs of Ryan Wolfe. Wolfe looked down in time to see a flash of silver as Horatio vanished.

"That was odd. Calliegh, He is not in his bedroom, and Eric says the backyard, office, and bathroom are clear. There is no sign of him." Wolfe said.

"Dinning area and garage are clear!" Frank called.

"Kitchen, laundry room, and living room are clear. Wolfe, are those scratch marks down by your feet?" Calliegh asked.

Wolfe looked down, "Yea, and I saw a flash of silver just seconds ago. These are definitely from a dog. Horatio doesn't own a dog from my knowledge."

"You don't think…" Calliegh couldn't finish.

"Lets not go there until we have to go there!" Wolfe cried.

They heard a scream coming from the backyard, and ran, meeting up with Frank at the back door. They ran outside to see Eric screaming, pointing at two winged wolves, one glowing silver, and one black, fighting each other.

"Call animal control!" Calliegh screamed.

"Are you crazy? They won't believe us!" Wolfe screamed.

"Guys." Frank said.

"Somebody do something already!" Eric screamed.

"We won't tell them that they are winged wolves with horns!" Calliegh screamed.

"Guys." Frank tried again.

"They are going to kill each other if we don't intervene!" Eric cried.

"Guys!" Frank screamed, getting their attention. Even the two wolves stopped fighting momentarily.

"What?" Wolfe asked.

"The silver one is Horatio. We found him." Frank said.

The three CSI's stared at the lieutenant like he had just said 1+13.

"You are kidding, right?" Wolfe asked.

"I'm not kidding. I saw him change, once." Frank said.

"Are you implying that Horatio is a werewolf, now?" Calliegh asked.

The silver wolf succeeded in driving off the black wolf. Horatio knew who the black wolf was. It was Rick Settler, the FBI agent who dreamed of finding a lab closing down forever flaw at the lab. He turned, and limped over to stand beside Frank, his left front leg bleeding from a bite.

"I'm not a werewolf, Calliegh." He said, shocking everyone further by talking.

"I'm not dreaming this, right?" Wolfe pinched himself, "Ow! Yep, I'm not dreaming."

"But how? Why?" Calliegh asked. Eric had come closer to hear him better.

"I can't say much about this except this. Remember the case that nearly cost me my job? The white stone case, to be more precise?" Horatio asked.

"You mean the case where Rick pegged you as lieutenant Butterfingers, and nearly succeeded in closing us down?" Calliegh asked.

"Yes, that one. The Stone went inside me, and gave me the ability to become a wolf. I wasn't the only one. Rick has the ability, too. I don't know how he managed to claim this ability, but I know that I alone can defeat Rick for good." Horatio said, giving his injured paw a few quick licks.

At that moment, Alexx and Natalia Boa Vista walked out into the backyard, and froze, seeing the silver winged wolf sitting quietly next to Frank.

"Guys, is that a wolf?" Alexx asked.

"Yes, and it is Horatio." Frank said, "White stone case, he was blamed for the loss of the white stone, the white stone went into him, and now he has the ability to turn into this."

"Frank, what have you been drinking?" Alexx asked.

"You mean the Lieutenant Butterfingers scandal?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, that case, Natalia. Alexx, I know this is hard to believe, but it is true." Horatio spoke up.

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Rick stopped in an alley to rest. He was still in wolf form, and he had heard what Horatio had said. He licked his injured shoulder, and got up a few minutes later. He would rest after reporting his find to the Dark One.

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It was now nighttime. Horatio switched to his winged wolf form, and walked quietly down an alley. He took a left, and entered a parking lot. He reached the woods, and broke into a canter. Finally, he reached his destination, an old cave, and went in. He lit his horn for light, and tapped out a code on the back wall. It lifted, and he went down a set of stairs. Horatio walked to stand inside the mark of the Trinity, three small triangles making up a large triangle. At the points of the large triangle, were three circles. Horatio sat down.

"Lumin, Dusk, Brillia, I have come." He called.

He heard the swirl of cloaks, as the Trinity appeared, standing inside each of the circles.

"Report, Cain." Lumin spoke. He wore a light blue cloak.

"My team has found me out. They know that I am the winged wolf." Horatio reported.

"Does anyone else know?" Dusk asked.He wore dark purple.

"No one else besides them know." Horatio said.

"How did they find out?" Brillia asked. She wore a yellow cloak.

"One of my CSI's was attacked by Shade, the dark wolf. I protected the CSI. My entire team saw, and Frank told them it was me. I was already in winged wolf form." Horatio explained.

"Cain, the Demigod is back. Shade works for him, as you already know. We have hidden the other stones, and they will turn up for each one of your team mates. You will have to be their leader, both as a CSI, and in animal form. The whole world is counting on you." Lumin said, fading into the shadows with Dusk, and Brillia. Horatio left the chamber, and went on his usual nightly prowl, unaware that another person was being murdered, and in their hand, they held one of the other stones.

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**Queen Sunstar: Reviews are very much appreciated! Tell me what you think of it so far!**


	2. Alexx is the Pheonix

**Queen Sunstar: Here is the next chapter of Darkness Rising. I do not own anything regarding CSI Miami, only the plot below and my own characters.**

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**Alexx the Phoenix**

Alexx Woods entered her morgue, and noticed the new arrival on her table. She put her lab coat and her latex gloves on, and got to work. The latest victim was a middle-aged woman with dark colored hair. Alex removed the purple crystal she was holding in her hand. As she held it up to the light, it glowed softly, and Alexx gasped, dropping it. It bounced off her bare arm before hitting the ground. She picked it up, and set it aside. Alexx turned back to the autopsy. Like before, there was the three scratches on the abdomen, and the throat had been ripped open. Alexx began to feel like she were on fire. She kept shaking it off.

'_I feel so hot. Why do I feel like I'm burning up?_' Alexx put a hand on her forehead, but she was cool to her touch. At that moment, Frank walked in.

"Alex, what is the COD, on our latest vic-Alexx!" Frank screamed, shocked to see the ME suddenly burst into flames. He looked around for a source of water, and grabbed the cleaning hose. He turned it on, and sprayed down the flames.

"Frank! Turn it off!" Alexx squealed, coughing. Frank shut the water off.

"You are not on fire anymore! What just happened?" Frank asked.

"I don't know, and is that ash?" Alexx looked down at her feet, to see a pile of fine gray ash. She took a sample of it, and handed it to Frank. She turned toward the evidence tray, where she had placed the purple crystal to find that it was gone.

"Frank, go get me Horatio, now." She said, "This is my ash."

"Alex, sit." Frank guided the ME into her office, and sat her down, "And stay." he took off, running. Unfortunately, he forgot about the water, and slid across the morgue, right into the lockers containing the dead bodies from previous cases.

"I'm okay." Frank called, walking onto the elevator.

Frank ran to Horatio's office, flying past Wolfe, who dove out of his way, and just missed Eric, who was just stepping out of the computer lab. He yanked the door open, as Horatio looked up from a mound of paperwork.

"Frank, I was just about to call you, and let you know that Supervisor has a nice hefty paperwork gift for you." Horatio said, "And he expects both of us to be done with it by lunch."

"Alexx, Morgue, purple crystal!" Frank gasped, trying to breathe after his 100 meter dash.

"Slow down, What just happened?" Horatio asked.

"This is Alexx's ash." Frank said.

"What?" Horatio asked, "Alexx is dead?"

"no, no, no, She, just go to the Morgue!" Frank screamed.

"Frank, if this is her ash, she is no longer living." Horatio said.

"She is alive! Go to the Morgue already!" Frank lost his temper.

At that moment, a pale Calliegh opened the door. Both men turned.

"Frank, I'll deal with you and your strong belief that Alexx is alive even though you are holding a bag of her ash, in a minute. Yes, Calliegh?" Horatio asked.

"Wolfe and I worked the latest crime scene, boss, and we found a tuff of fur next to the body. Its silver wolf fur. We tested it against the sample you gave us of your fur in wolf form, and it's a match." Calliegh said.

Frank screamed, and ran out of the office.

"I called in the body, Calliegh. I was in wolf form when I found it. Is it possible that it could have fallen off while I changed back to human form?" Horatio asked.

"This is a tuff of fur, Horatio. Wolves, and dogs don't shed in tuffs of fur." Calliegh said, "What is Franks problem?"

"That reminds me. I've got a situation to deal with in the morgue." Horatio said, "I am pretty sure there is a natural cause for that tuff of fur showing up at the crime scene."

"I'll run some scenarios." Calliegh left.

Horatio left his office, and went down into the morgue. He carefully stepped over the water puddles, and entered Alexx's office.

"Alexx, Frank ran into my office, with a bag of your ash. Care to explain?" He asked,

Alexx turned.

"I started the autopsy on the body in the main room, and I picked up a purple crystal. I dropped it, and I started feeling really warm. Then I burst into flames, but they didn't burn me. Frank sprayed me with water, and we noticed the ash. What happened to me? I'm afraid to work, now." Alexx said.

"I'm not sure, but I think you just got your power. You are a phoenix, Alexx." Horatio said, "Phoenixes come back from their ashes, just like you did."

"But, that means that I'm apart of your world, now." Alexx said.

"You've always been apart of my world, Alexx." Horatio said, sitting beside her.

"I meant, I'm apart of the winged wolf world of yours." Alexx said.

"Oh, that world. it's a scary world, Alexx. Are you sure you want to be apart of it?" Horatio asked.

"I have to be apart of it, now. Why me? Why did the stone choose me?" Alexx asked out loud.

"I don't know, Alexx. Have you tried changing into your Phoenix form yet? When the white stone went into me, the change was automatic." Horatio said.

"I haven't tried, yet. I have an autopsy to finish." Alexx stood, and Horatio followed.

"You are fighting it, Alexx, let yourself go. Let the Phoenix become apart of you, as the Winged Wolf did with me." Horatio tried, "You can't keep fighting it."

"I woke up yesterday morning, thinking about how normal I was, with a normal job, normal friends, normal life. Then, last night, Natalia and I drove up to your house, and we saw you, in winged wolf form. Now, I'm some kind of freak." Alexx said, "I'm a human being, and human beings don't have extraordinary abilities, like going winged wolf, or turning into a phoenix."

""Welcome to my world." Horatio said.

"Thanks." Alexx smiled, "Stand back. I don't know how my change is going to progress."

Horatio took a step backward, and Alexx became enveloped in a purple cloud. The cloud dissolved to reveal a light purple Phoenix with a dark purple crescent on her chest.

"Alexx?" Horatio asked, "How does it feel?"

"It feels strange. Okay, I'm changing back." Like before, Alexx became enveloped in the purple cloud, and the cloud dissolved. She was human once more. Her phone rang.

"Yes?" She answered it.

"Horatio, they need you upstairs, in the lab, you know who." Alexx said, "I'm fine, now."

"okay." He left, and went up to the main lobby, where the rest of his team stood, Eric holding a piece of paper, and each one with expressions of pure shock and disbelief written over their faces. A grinning Rick stood near by.

"Rick, what did you do?" Horatio asked.

"Now now, it's a mater of what you did, or should I say, who you killed?" Rick stepped up to Horatio.

"I am not a murderer. I found that body this morning, Rick." Horatio said, his voice icy.

"The evidence doesn't lie, Horatio." Rick said, his grin pure malice, "that paper is an arrest warrant, for you. This lab is now officially closed, and its cases are being shipped to the FBI lab out on the island." Rick pulled out a pair of hand cuffs, "I've waited years for this. Here I am, arresting the great Horatio Caine!"

"But-!" Wolfe started,

"how?" Calliegh finished.

"Wait a minute! We worked that crime scene!" Eric cried, "there was no evidence suggesting that Horatio murdered that woman!"

"He's right!" Natalia cried, "I was there, bagging the evidence!"

"Yes, but you didn't get this!" Rick held up an evidence bag with several reddish blond hairs in it, "They were found in the victims hand! You know the Miranda rights, Caine, so lets get a move on!"

"But I checked the victims hands!" Natalia cried, "I would have found those!"

"Alexx pulled more evidence off the victim." Horatio said, wincing at the sound of the handcuffs clicking behind his back, "go pick it up, and send it to the FBI lab, like the agent wanted."

Calliegh nodded. They watched as Rick proceeded to drag Horatio along with him, and leave the building.

"No! This can't be happening!" Natalia cried, crumbling into a heap on the floor. Wolfe sat by her, holding her.

"Lets do what Horatio said," Eric said, visibly shaking, "and find Frank."

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**Queen Sunstar: What did ya think of the chapter? Review it, and tell me, please! **


	3. Calliegh, the Huntress Reborn

Horatio stared across the metal table at Rick. He now wore the traditional orange prison garb of an inmate with the collar open to reveal a white T-shirt, and his wrists and ankles were handcuffed to the chair. He remained calm.

"I would be talking, if I were you, Caine! I have ways of getting people to talk!" Rick sneered. Horatio remained unfazed.

"I told you, Rick, I found and called in the body. I never touched her, nor did she touch me." Horatio responded.

"That area is not your usual haunt, Caine. The evidence tells me she tried to fight back, and got a handful of your hair. May be she is an old girlfriend that broke up with you, and you saw her with her new boyfriend, and your jealousy got the better of you. You killed her, and her boyfriend." Rick dropped a stack of pictures in front of Horatio, "These crime scene pictures look familiar?" His grin was of pure malice.

"No. I was never there. I told you everything already, Rick." Horatio said, his tone icy.

"I have been given authorization to use several methods of getting you to talk, Caine, that woman you murdered was none other then Mayor Anna Rosa. Maybe, I should be calling you Cain!" Rick sneered, watching for Horatio's reaction.

"I am not a murderer, Shade." Horatio responded, coldly, watching Ricks eyes widening in surprise. Rick shot over the table, and threw Horatio into a wall, and with one arm, lifted him up into the air, with his back against the wall. He drew back a fist, and landed a heavy blow to Horatio's face.

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"Two days ago, we worked the crime scenes. Now, we are cleaning the crime scenes!" Wolfe complained, using a mop to scrub a bloodstain off the floor.

"I would have found those hairs! I swear it!" Natalia muttered back, on her hands and knees, going over the area that Wolfe had already mopped with a Mr. Clean dry eraser.

"Natalia, its not your fault, so, stop beating yourself up about it." Wolfe told her.

"I got Horatio arrested for my mistake, okay? I can't let it go! I should have been more careful!" Natalia shot back.

Eric and Calliegh came in to hear Natalia's last remarks. They all were wearing the same white uniforms. Eric grabbed a mop, while Calliegh took an eraser. They joined their friends.

"Natalia, you can't beat yourself up like this, okay? Everybody makes mistakes." Calliegh said.

"Ever get your boss arrested for it?" Natalia asked.

"Horatio has done some amazing things for all of us. He would go to the ends of the earth if it meant saving one of us. He will get out of this, and get the lab and our jobs back." Calliegh replied.

"I agree with Calliegh. Things look bad now, but they will get better." Eric said.

"Hey Eric, how about a round of mop hockey while we clean?" Wolfe asked, dropping a dry eraser on the floor.

"You are on! The table behind you, and the table behind me are the goals!" Eric called.

They began batting the eraser back and forward between each other.

"Let them have their fun. Its getting the job done." Natalia said, smiling.

"Score!" Wolfe called.

"Hey no fair! It bounced through the table! It doesn't count!" Eric whined.

"And there they go. It starts." Calliegh backed up out of the way.

"Alright, you two!" Frank walking into the room, "Is this how we clean?" He was wearing the same white uniform, and had appointed himself as their boss.

"Aw, come on! I was winning!" Eric cried.

"No, you were cheating." Wolfe chuckled.

"I don't cheat! You cheated!" Eric turned to him.

"Guys, its clean up time, not playtime." Frank said.

"Rematch!" Wolfe called, ignoring him.

Frank grabbed the mops.

"Both of you, stop! Get back to work!" Frank ordered, "Calliegh, Natalia, you to."

Calliegh was scrubbing the floor next to one of the tables, when she saw the glint of green, and reached for it. She pulled out a light green crystal. It glowed brightly, and she became enveloped in green light.

"What's happening to Calliegh?" Eric cried.

The light died down. Calliegh looked down at herself. She was still human. Her cloths had been replaced by silver armor. She felt something on her back, and turned to a mirror to see a pair of silver wings.

"What happened to me?" Calliegh asked.

"You are like Horatio, and Alex, Calliegh." Frank said.

That doesn't help me any, Frank!" Calliegh snapped, then she apologized, "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

Suddenly, she was enveloped in the green lights again, and returned to normal.

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Alexx looked up over a third dead body with the same scratch marks and ripped throat as the other two, to see the former CSI's come walking in, each looking shocked, except for Frank.

"You too?" Calliegh asked.

"What?" Alexx asked, confused.

"You change into an animal, too?" Eric asked.

"Yes, a phoenix. Calliegh, you do it too?" Alexx put two and two together.

"I don't know what I became, other then I the fact I was still human, and the fact I had wings." Calliegh said, "COD?" She indicated the body.

"His throat was ripped open by some kind of wolf or dog. This dog knew what it was doing. The scratches on the abdomen knocked the body down, and then the dog goes for the throat. I found a tuff of silver fur in the neck wound, and reddish blond hairs in the victims hand. Too bad there is no way to test them." Alexx said.

"We can test it ourselves! We have a lab right here!" Eric got excited.

"Do you want to get yourself fired, Eric?" Calliegh asked, "that would never hold up in court!"

"Actually, it will. Guys, we are getting Horatio and our Lab back. This room is a certified lab." Alexx opened a counter, and pulled out several pieces of equipment. "You guys, get busy."

"Ryan and I'll take the hair." Eric said.

"Calliegh and I will work the fur." Natalia said.

They took their respective evidence, set up their equipment, and got busy.

"I'm so out of my element. Alexx, you are on fire, again." Frank said a few minutes later, "I'll run the coffee machine." He sat down by the coffee machine.

Alexx glanced down, and muttered, "Not again." As she burst into flames. She had gotten used to bursting into flames twice a day, and had discovered that she could control it. She put herself out.

Over by the trace counter, as one of the three counters had come to be called, Ryan and Eric stared down the hair through microscopes, almost daring it to come alive and spill its secrets. Over at the DNA/Computer counter, as the second of the three counters had come to be called, Natalie examined the fur through a microscope, while Calliegh surfed the web, looking for websites on wolves to compare the sample to. She would then be able to figure out which species of wolf the fur came from. Frank had the last counter, which he had started calling his office/break room. Ryan broke the silence first.

"This is a kind of hair that's used for dolls, and its called Nylon. It is a soft wool based brand, very rare in these parts." Ryan said.

"Now tell me, where would we find this kind of Nylon?" Eric asked. Ryan smiled.

"You can find it at a custom store in downtown Miami. It is not used here because the heat dries it out. I talked to a Custom maker online in Washington state, where this stuff is very popular." Ryan paused to read the screen name on the computer next to him, "According to **Primaqueen**, there was an auction on Ebay for a large quantity of the stuff, and it was sold to someone here in Miami, by the screen name **Dollmaker**. Too bad I'm not a CSI anymore. I would follow the lead to see where it would take me."

"Calliegh, are you playing on the computer, or working on it?" Natalia asked, "Ryan, why don't you see if you can befriend **Dollmaker**?"

"I'm ahead of you on that. I'm running it through a screen name directory online." Ryan said.

"Now you are a true CSI, Ryan." Natalia tapped Calliegh on the shoulder, "How about you?"

"Me? Oh yeah! The wolf fur! Its Canis Lupus, Grey Wolf. Without the sample Horatio provided us, I can't tell for sure if it belongs to him." Calliegh said, going back to the website she was on, "I found something about these abilities Horatio, Alexx, and I have."

"I may get into trouble for this later, but I saved the sample Horatio gave us." Alexx opened a drawer and pulled out the evidence bag containing the wolf fur, and handed it over to Natalia, who made the next discovery.

"The wolf fur Horatio gave us is lighter then the fur Alexx found on the body! This completely frees Horatio, and reopens our Lab!" She called.

"Good, now we need a judge that will believe us." Eric said, "We aren't exactly CSI's anymore."

"That's where I come in." Frank said, "I'm still a lieutenant. Unlike you guys, I wasn't stripped of my title, and I know a judge who owes me a favor."

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Horatio lay on the bed in his cell, and thought. His face was bruised, and tender to the touch, but no bones had been broken. He heard the sound of footsteps, and turned to the bars of the cell. A guard opened the cell, and tossed him something. Upon closer inspection, it was the clothes he had been wearing two days ago, when Rick had arrested him. He looked up at the guard questioningly.

"You are innocent, Caine. A judge has signed for your release. Your Team is waiting for you outside, so hurry up." the guard said.

Minutes later, Horatio followed the guard out into the front area. He was wearing his own clothes. The next thing he knew, he all but disappeared under a pile of very happy CSI's, one ME, and one Lieutenant.

"Can't breathe, you guys!" Horatio called out, worming his way back out from literally under his team.

"You look terrible, H! What did Rick do to you?" Alexx asked.

"I'm fine, just a little bruised from being Ricks punching bag. How did you guys manage to set me free?" Horatio asked.

"We followed the leads, and Ryan found out that the hair is fake, and Natalia found out that the fur on the bodies wasn't yours." Eric said, "We are CSI's. What did you expect? We wouldn't have left you behind bars."

"Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you. We are CSI's, and we do have a case to work on, so I suggest we get back to work, in our lab." Horatio let a smile play on his lips, as he walked outside where his beloved Hummer sat waiting. For some reason, Calliegh stayed protectively close to him.

"I'll drive mine." Horatio said.

"I drove in mine here with everybody, so I'll drive back." Ryan said, "Who is with me?"

"I want to speak with Horatio, alone." Calliegh spoke up.

"Why?" Eric asked.

"Its important, and it is about what happened to me today." Calliegh said.

"ride with me, then, and tell me about it. Something tells me you just become a part of my winged wolf world." Horatio held open the passenger side of his car, and let Calliegh climb in.

"So, you wanted to talk, Calliegh. Talk to me." Horatio said a few minutes later.

"I found a light green colored stone, and I changed, Horatio." Calliegh said, "I'm like you now."

"What did you become?" Horatio asked.

"I found a web page about what is happening to us, and I'm the Huntress. The Huntress is basically an armor clad angel. I had silver wings. On the web page, I read that a long time ago, back during the Roman Empire, a powerful Demigod escaped the confines of Hell, and wreaked havoc in the Roman world. Two powerful monks and a nun went up against the Demigod, but they were nearly destroyed in the fight. They pooled their remaining power into seven stones, and gave them to seven mortals. It was Cain, the Winged Wolf, who made the ultimate sacrifice to lock up the Demigod. He also locked up the trinity in the process. I think Cain is you, H." Calliegh said.

"Who were the others?" Horatio asked, turning off the main highway.

"There was the phoenix, Lexa, and myself, Orina. There was a bear named Bree, with yellow diamond eyes, a winged tiger named Flare, a lion named Leo with orange diamond eyes, and an alicorn named Tailia. In the legend, Flare turned on Cain, and joined the Demigod. When Cain fought the Demigod, Leo handled Flare. I'm worried about you." Calliegh said.

"When we get back into the Lab, give me the web site address. I think it is time I looked up this information myself." Horatio said, stopping at a red light. Then things took a dark turn. The shadows on the road merged together, and split into several shapes. Each shape grew from the ground, forming a humanlike shape with red eyes. They had no hands, but their arms ended in dagger like points. They attacked the car head on. Calliegh screamed, avoiding a dagger hit coming through the roof of the hummer. Horatio battled to stay on the road, but the shadows would have none of it. The CSI supervisor felt his side of the hummer rising, and watched the ground grow smaller. Another black dagger came down through the roof, causing Calliegh to scream again. She realized that one side of the Hummer was higher then the other.

"Oh my god! We're going to die!" She screamed.

"Maybe not! Here comes Ryan's car, being followed by Alexx in Phoenix form!" Horatio screamed back, "Grab on to something!"

Alexx wasted no time attacking the shadows, while the rest of the team raced to the downed Hummer. They could only watch in horror as the car tipped over, rolling toward the embankment. Alexx saw, but was slowed down by another of the shadows. She opened her beak and let out a stream of fire, forcing it to flee. She shot toward the Hummer, and buried her talons into the metal frame, and pulled. She managed to stop the hummer from moving.

"Calliegh! Hold on! We're coming!" Eric screamed, running toward the car, where there was no movement from inside it.

"Hang on, Horatio!" Ryan screamed, following Eric.

Alexx landed, and reverted back to human form. She knocked on the windshield, and heard an answering knock on Calliegh side of the car. Eric reached the car, and yanked open the passenger side door, where Calliegh crawled out.

"I'm okay, but Horatio is in a bad shape." she said, visibly shaken, "What were those things?"

There was the sound of a seat belt unlocking followed by a thud, and a muffled yelp of pain, as Ryan dragged Horatio out of the now mangled Hummer.

"Those were Shadow spirits, the grunts of the demonic world. Ryan, you can help me a lot more by getting me Alexx!" Horatio answered, "I've battled those things before."

"Need an ambulance?" Frank asked, cell phone out, "I apparently have 911 on speed dial."

"No hospitals!" Horatio protested, as Alexx looked up over his shoulder and nodded to Frank to go ahead.

"You are going to the Hospital, H. You need medical attention. I'm a ME, not a doctor. There is a difference. It looks like you have broken ribs, and I won't be surprised if they find a concussion." Alexx said.

Unknown to them, a winged black wolf snarled in disgust as it stood, and walked away. Rick had watched his plan fail, and now he walked off to report the awakenings of Lexa and Orina to the Demigod.

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**Queen Sunstar: first off, thanks for all ten of the wonderful reviews! I've never had this much success with a story in the first two chapters. To respond to my two anonymous reviewers, Kitsune, and Terri, I'm glad you are liking the story so far. This story has had 212 hits. Enough of me talking. Don't forget to leave a review, now! Oh, and before I forget, I know it looks like I'm out to get Horatio, but I'm not. This is as bad as it gets for Horatio, I promise! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Ryan is the crystal eye'd bear

**Queen Sunstar: I don't own My Little Pony, but I do own the four customs that I will be describing later in the story. There is a reason for this. I don't own CSI Miami ether.**

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Rick padded silently through the woods, his heightened wolf senses scanning for anything following him. He was still in winged wolf form. While Horatio had a silver glow in wolf form, Rick had a shadowy purple glow in his own wolf form. His body was black, and his eyes burned red. His wings were similar to that of a bat. His horn, streaked in black and dark silver, was long and twisted. He wore an amulet in the shape of a wolf paw. This was how he was able to become the dark wolf. Rick walked through a black arch without much thought, and entered a dark tunnel. He stepped out into a throne room of sorts, and bowed before the throne.

Sitting on the throne was a being with red glowing eyes, and had large black bat like wings. He wore a black suit of armor. His facial features were very similar to that of Horatio Caine, and his hair was the same red blonde as Horatio's hair. His name was Cronamus.

"Report, Shade." The Demigod ordered.

"Cain has woken Lexa, and Orina, Sire." Rick responded, it won't be long until Flare, Leo, Bree, and Tailia are awakened."

"Find, and defeat them, Shade!" The demigod ordered.

Rick nodded. He stared up at the Demigod, and asked, "What about the others?"

"Find those crystals, before they find them." The Demigod ordered.

"I'll do as you wish, Cronamus, sir." Rick stood, and trotted outside into the darkening night.

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"You are lucky," the female doctor said, "you only fractured two of your ribs. I will tape them up, and prescribe you some vicoden for the pain, and you will be good to go. Just be careful of sharp movements for the next two weeks."

"I was on my way back to work. I can still go to work, right? I'm the head CSI, and my team needs me." Horatio asked.

"You can, as long as you are careful. Here is the prescription, and you are good to go." the Doctor finished.

Horatio walked back out into the ER waiting room, where his entire team had gathered.

"Well?" Ryan asked.

"I'm fine, except for two small fractures in my ribs." Horatio said.

"Did they check you for a concussion, or did you talk them out of it, like the last three times?" Alexx asked.

"I'm fine. I promise, when we get back to the lab, I'll spend the day on desk duty, f it will make you all feel better." Horatio said, his tone dry. He knew they were only worried about him.

"Ryan is not driving!" Eric called.

"Hey! So I obeyed the traffic laws and regulations while getting here! I'm the safest driver!" Ryan cried.

"Would you two stop arguing for once? Give me the keys." Frank stepped between them.

"But-" Eric shut himself up when he saw Franks icy glare, and handed him the keys. They piled into the remaining Hummer, and made it back to the lab in one piece. Maxine Valera, their DNA lab tech, had gathered the other lab techs, and was waiting outside for them. Once inside, the lab filled with the usual buzz of technicians calling out to the CSI's about clues, and results. To Horatio, it was music to his ears.

Ryan entered the computer lab, and sat down at one of the computers. He opened his email list, and scanned down through the list. He found an email from **Primaqueen** labeled urgent, and opened it. It read:

_**This is Primaqueen. I have done some thinking about the nylon hair you emailed me about, and I remembered something else. You can find this kind of Nylon at custom specialty shops, and I did some CSI work of my own. There are three different shops downtown Miami. I hope this helps you. If you have any questions about the nylon, or other nylon hair related products, I can try to answer them. In addition, Dollmaker is a regular at these sites.**_

A short list followed the message.

_**If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know, and I will do my**_

The message ended abruptly. Ryan checked the rest of his emails, and found no other response from **Primaqueen**. He turned to the technician, and told him to run a trace on the email, and to alert him if anything if he found anything.

Calliegh worked on the wolf fur, and did a DNA analysis. She hit a fresh new lead. The DNA told her the wolf was female, and she knew that the only female wolf in captivity was at the Miami Dade Zoo. She smiled to herself. It was time to pay a visit to the zoo, and learn the whereabouts of their female wolf.

"Ryan, I got your results on the screen name, **Primaqueen**, back!" the tech called.

Ryan entered the room.

"What did you find?" He asked.

"The screen name belongs to a woman residing in Marysville, Washington. Meet Jodye Rudolph." The tech pulled up a picture of a pretty, brown haired woman, "She was abducted late last night by unknown assailants. I have already called for Horatio, because this is our crime scene."

At that moment, Horatio walked into the room, and listened as the tech explained the situation to him.

"Ryan, how do you feel about Washington State? This is our crime scene, and we both are going to have to fly out to Washington. This is not a vacation." Horatio said.

"I don't mind Washington, Horatio." Ryan said.

"Good, I have a few calls to make." Horatio left the computer lab. He went into his office, and picked up his phone. He got in touch with the Everett Crime Lab, and explained the situation to them. He was given the crime scene. His next call was to the Miami Dade Airport, and after that, he called Ryan back to his office.

"When do we leave?" Ryan asked.

"Meet me at the airport at 4:00 AM tomorrow morning. Our plane leaves at 5:00 AM." Horatio said.

"Okay, I'll check into those sites **Primaqueen **sent me and see if I can learn something about **Dollmaker**." Ryan said.

"Good." Horatio said, watching Ryan leave, before turning back to his work.

Ryan went back into the computer lab, and sat at a computer. He logged on, and went online to the first site on the list. It was a custom pony website documenting how to customize a My Little Pony. The next two sites were the same, one told how to customize dolls, while the other was another custom pony site. The last two sites were both fan fiction sites. The first had customization information, as well as a fan fiction based on the My Little Pony characters, while the other was a personal site with another fan fiction based on My Little Pony. Ryan read the prologue, and bookmarked it to read later. Then he thought better of it, and printed out the entire story up to date, the character page, and the map page. He stabled it all together.

The next morning, he boarded the plane to travel west to Washington behind Horatio. They found their seats, and sat down. Ryan pulled out the stabled papers, and began to read.

"Interesting choice of reading material, Ryan." Horatio mentioned, some time later, "You need to buckle up for take off."

"This? It is something I found online, at one of the five sites **Primaqueen **sent me. I'm trying to determine why a customization fanatic would stop here." Ryan flipped back to the character page, "I think this is why. These four ponies were scanned onto the web page, while the rest were hand drawn." Ryan pointed out the four ponies. The first was a golden pony with a horn, and Dragonic wings. It had long red hair, and its symbol was a raised sun with a ruby in its center. Its wings were leathery on top, and feathery on the bottom. The second one was a black pony with black hair, feathery wings, and a horn, and furry feet. Its symbol was a red rose. The third pony was smaller then the other two, and was purple in color. Its wings were similar to the golden ponies wings, and it to, had a horn. Its hair was red and white. Its symbol was a raised sun surrounded in flames, with a ruby in its center. The last one was the smallest, and it was black. It had leathery wings, and black scales covered its sides. Two small black horns nestled next to its ears, and its head looked more dragonish then pony. It didn't have hair, but red spikes ran down its back to meet in three curved spikes on the tip of its tail. It had fury paws instead of hooves like the other three.

"I take it that **Primaqueen **is a customizes ponies herself. That must be why **Dollmaker **went to her web page." Horatio said, "and bookmarked it because he liked what he saw."

"The customs are amazing." Ryan went back to reading, "And the story is powerful."

Four hours later, they got off the plane, just as it was starting to snow. The barren black trees rose like silent sentinels into a white sky. A fog wafted around the tree trunks. Snow blanketed the ground on ether side of the lonely stretch of runaway. The lights came on, making the scene look more like something out of a dream. Beside him, Ryan heard Horatio mutter under his breath, and blow on his fingertips, to warm them up. It was then that he remembered. Horatio hated the cold with a vengeance.

"You did remember to pack a pair of gloves, right?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, but I packed them into my suitcase." Horatio answered, glancing at his watch, "Tony is late, and I know he is doing this because he knows I hate the cold!"

"Tony?" Ryan questioned.

"Tony Fernando is the head CSI here in Washington, and is a good friend of mine. We went to the academy together back east, in New York." Horatio said.

Ryan saw the car out of the corner of his eye, and turned to it as the car horn sounded, causing Horatio to jump a mile, and gasped sharply as his ribs protested the sudden sharp movement. He turned, and glared at the man walking up to them. Ryan couldn't be sure if it was a man at first, due to the heavy furry parka the man wore.

"H, good to see you, again. Sorry about the fact I was late. My Bug wouldn't start. She had a rough morning." Tony said, "Lets get going, before she decides to shut down on me again."

Ryan picked up his suitcase, and heard Horatio gasping sharply as he reached for his own suitcase. He was about to offer to carry both suitcases to the waiting car, when Tony reached over and took both suitcases from them.

"H, are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine! I had a little accident involving my Hummer yesterday!" Horatio snapped, slowly straightening.

"Do mind him, he hasn't had his morning pain pills yet." Ryan said.

"What did he break this time?" Tony asked, snickering silently.

"he broke two ribs." Ryan said.

"Ouch, Hey H! You ever tell him about the time you managed to break every bone in your left foot?" Tony called, chuckling merrily.

"He does not need to know about that!" Horatio called back, getting into the car.

"What did he do?" Ryan asked.

"Don't you dare tell him! It was bad enough having to explain to the headmaster why there were holes in the wall, on my side of the dorm room!" Horatio cried.

"It was back when we were still at the academy. We shared a dorm room. One night, we went to bed late, and the next morning, I woke up to hear H screaming. He managed to break every bone in his foot by kicking four different holes in the wall. The headmaster was furious." Tony said, closing the trunk door, "H had to have bars installed on the wall to keep himself from kicking the wall in his sleep."

"I'm an active sleeper! I can't help it!" Horatio responded, "It was humiliating! You try finding a new dorm mate and having to explain the bars on the wall!"

"Mac Taylor didn't seem to care!" Tony chuckled, easing the tiny car into drive, and leaving the runaway behind.

"Mac thought it was funny to experiment on the bars." Horatio shot back.

Ryan returned to his reading, ignoring the friendly bickering going on in the front seat. Tony dropped them off at the hotel. They found their rooms, which were adjoining rooms.

"Tony will come by later tonight to explain the case, and tomorrow he will take us to the crime scene. We work this like we would in Miami." Horatio explained, "Get some sleep, Tony will be here at around six."

Six o'clock found a refreshed Ryan ready to go. He walked into the other room to find Horatio ready to go, but he noticed that Horatio looked paler then usual.

"You sure you're up to this?" Ryan asked, "I can go by myself."

"I'm fine, I just took a Vicoden." Horatio led the way to the restraunt on the bottom floor. There, they met up with Tony, and two women. One of the women had short brown hair, and glasses, while the other woman was blonde, and both women wore hearing aids.

"This is Detective Chelsey Slye, and CSI Anna Hinkle. Chelsey leads the DCS which stands for Deaf CSI Squad. We called them once we found out that our abducted victim, Jodye Rudolph, was deaf." Tony said, He turned, and signed fluently to the two women. Chelsey nodded, and adjusted her glasses. She turned to the two men.

"Its okay, you can talk normally to us. My entire team is fluent at lip reading. It is a good thing that you came, because this case hit us hard at home. Anna and I went to school with Jodye. She was our best friend." Chelsey said, sitting down between Tony, and Anna. Ryan sat next to Anna, and Horatio was between him and Tony.

"Why don't you tell us about the case?" Horatio asked, shifting his weight around in the chair, trying to get comfortable.

"We went through that entire office. Jodye does not leave home without this." Anna held up an evidence bag containing a mini laptop, "We have gone over it, but all that is on it is Jodye's communication software. While going over the office, we came across this marking on the wall, and there is no sign of a forced entry anywhere in that house, and there is no way for anybody to sneak into that house without a sensor going off, or Jodye's hearing ear dog going nuts. Office computer still has not coughed up any goods." Anna pulled out a file, and handed it over to Horatio, "Here is the case file."

"Maybe Jodye left the house on her own accord." Ryan brought up.

"Jodye would have taken her Laptop with her." Anna said.

"Does she have more then one?" Horatio asked.

"She has only one. It is all her family could afford." Chelsey said.

"Tomorrow, I'll take them to the crime scene. I don't get how someone could just vanish into thin air. It is like she is invisible woman." Tony said.

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Calliegh was looking through a microscope at the sample of wolf fur from the female wolf, and the sample from the crime scene at the same time. She saw that it was a match. The zoo had told her that they found their female wolf one morning, completely shaved. She had checked over the area, and found nothing. She wondered if Ryan and Horatio were having better luck. Somebody cleared their throat behind her, and she turned to see Rick.

"Horatio is not here." She said.

"It is not Horatios I want, but you!" With that, Ricks amulet glowed, and he went wolf. Calliegh jumped and backed up into a wall.

"Rick, we can talk about this!" She cried.

"Why? I'm here to make sure you don't cause any more trouble for the Demigod!" Rick snarled.

As Rick lunged at Calliegh, Eric came flying into the room, and tackled the wolf.

"Calliegh! Change already!" He cried.

Calliegh tried to focus, to become the huntress, but nothing happened. Rick sent Eric flying across the room, screaming. She heard the dull thud of his body hitting the floor. Rick turned back to her.

"Say good bye, Calliegh!" Rick shot at her. Calliegh screamed, expecting to feel claws and teeth on her. She could hear Eric's pained scream, and then she heard Alexx.

"Stop, Rick!" the ME was glowing with rage. Her change was quick. She melted into her phoenix body, and dove at Rick, talons out. She raked her talons along Ricks back, forcing him into a corner. Calliegh finally felt her change, and Huntress and Phoenix glared down at their common foe. Rick snarled, and lowered his horn. He shot up at Alexx, who sidestepped out of the way. She sank her talons into Ricks left wing, and twisted, forcing a howl of agony from the black wolf. Calliegh wondered how she could fight, when her hands glowed. A sleek, silver crossbow appeared. Minutes later, Calliegh discovered that she could call for any kind of weapon, and it would come.

"Lets see, grappling hooks!!" Calliegh called watching as the weapon appeared in her hands, "Now this I like!" She raised it to her shoulder, took aim, and fired off a grappling hook, pinning Rick down to the floor.

"Good move!" Alexx called, "Lets see what our favorite FBI agent has to say about this?" She landed gracefully on the back of a chair.

"I have nothing to say to you." Rick snarled.

"Oh yes, you do, so spill!" Calliegh gave the line a tug, causing Rick to squeal as the hooks dug harder into his body. What happened next shocked everybody. Rick glowed purple, and vanished. There was a gurgling cough, and Calliegh turned. She screamed, and ran to Eric's side. His body had slammed into a row of computers, and several shards of glass stuck out at odd angles from the CSI's throat. Calliegh ripped out the glass without thinking, and screamed Eric's name over and over again.

"Calliegh… Its… over… for me…" Eric rasped out.

"No! I'm not losing you! Stay with me! Stay!" Calliegh cried. She felt Alexx, still in Phoenix form, brush by her.

"Ever hear in the legends about phoenixes that their tears can heal? Lets see if that's true." Alexx said, letting two light amethyst colored tears drip off of her beak, and land on Eric's neck wounds. They closed themselves up silently, and Eric jerked as he woke up. His hand shot to his neck, and felt nothing. He scooted back from Alexx and Calliegh, eyes wide.

"That's where I draw the line! I don't want to be apart of this creepy demon world of yours!" He cried, as Frank walked into the remains of the lab.

"What happened here?" He asked.

"Rick happened, and I'm out of here!" Eric left, pausing long enough to thank the ME, who had returned to normal alongside Calliegh.

"I see that the women drove him off." Frank said.

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Ryan and Horatio both stood inside the crime scene, going over it again. Ryan was on the computer, searching for clues to why Jodye got kidnapped, while Horatio went over the marking on the wall. It showed what looked like a y shape tipped with several circles on all three tips. There was a fourth circle in the center of the y. the three outer circles had three sharp claws extending from them.

"Interesting." Horatio muttered.

"I think I found something! These look like plans for other custom pony ideas! Maybe **Dollmaker** got jealous and decided to kidnap Jodye and force her to make the customs for him!" Ryan called.

"Ryan, we are in big trouble. I know whose mark that is on the wall. That is the mark of Ursa, one of the Demigod's underlings, and he is here." The words barely left Horatio's mouth, when the ground shuddered, "Ryan, call Tony, and tell him to start an evacuation! I'll hold of Ursa for as long as I can!"

"But-" Ryan started, watching Horatio go wolf.

"I'm the only one who can fight Ursa! Go! Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!" Horatio shot through the open window, opened his wings, and took off. Ryan called Tony, who started an emergency evacuation of the area. Heart pounding, Ryan stayed behind in the office. He went to the window, and watched in horror as a bear growled down at the winged wolf. This bear was more like a skeleton, with dead flesh hanging off its frame. Ryan knew that it couldn't be alive, but yet it was moving at an astounding pace. He couldn't scream as the bear causally swatted the wolf away with a swipe of one of its massive paws. The wolf's body hit the ground, hard, and didn't move as the huge beast bore down on him. Ryan found his voice at last, and screamed. Something glowed behind him, and he turned to see a yellow crystal sitting on the desk. He reached for it, and watched it disappear into his own hand. He ran outside, still glowing yellow, and changed. He became a brown bear with yellow crystal eyes. Ryan stood over the still unmoving winged wolf, and growled menacingly at Ursa. A quick sniff told him that Horatio was still alive. Ursa raised a huge paw, and swatted at Ryan. He ducked to avoid it, and struck out with his own paw. Ursa howled in rage, and lunged. Ryan sunk down to the ground, and heard the sound of Ursa hitting the ground behind him. He turned and lunged, landing a well aimed blow on the demon. It vanished into a wisp of black smoke.

"Ryan, good job." Horatio said, climbing carefully back to his feet.

"You are okay. I think I'm apart of the you know what, now." Ryan said.

"Lets change back, and finish the crime scene. Jodye was taken by Ursa." Horatio said.

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**Queen Sunstar: Long chapter! Sorry about the long wait for updates. My work schedule has been changed recently. My break is only two hours long now, and I'm not very fast at typing on the computer. Reviews are appreciated! **


	5. Natalia is the Alicorn

**Queen Sunstar: Sorry about the wait. I was finishing my other story, and I put this one on a short hiatus while I finished my other story. Now, I have this one, and another story, which has been on hiatus since mid January, and I am going to take them both out of hiatus. I am going to try to update weekly from now on. Anyway, on to chapter five.**

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"Eric, talk to me. What is wrong?" Calliegh asked her fellow CSI.

She had found Eric out on the beach, staring forlornly at the Atlantic Ocean, which continued to pound the coast. He sighed, and turned to Calliegh.

"I don't know what to think, any more. Everything is changing, even us. I don't want anything to do with this new world that Horatio has opened up for us." Eric said.

"What makes you think things have to change between us, Eric? The Huntress is not a part of us. It is a part of me. Are you scared of me, now?" Calliegh asked.

"I almost died today. Heck, I should be dead now. I am not afraid of you, Calliegh. I don't know if I want to date an unnatural." Eric said.

"I'm unnatural? You are telling me I'm not human?" Calliegh seethed, going Huntress on him.

"Calliegh! Wait! Calliegh! Calm down! Nice angel, nice angel, put the nuke down carefully." Eric cried, backing up into a tree.

"You call this unnatural?" Calliegh screamed, making the nuke in her hands disappear, only to be replaced by a grappling gun.

"You aren't the unnatural I was talking about! I meant the Huntress was unnatural! Calm down, and point that thing elsewhere! I apologize! I am repentant! I am sorry! How else to you want me to say it?" Eric cried.

"If this is how you feel, then so be it!" Calliegh stormed off, reverting to herself. Eric went to move, but Calliegh raised her grappling gun, and he stayed put, until she disappeared into the building.

"Note to self. Never get somebody with a super power angry." Eric told himself.

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Alexx walked into her morgue, and noted the new arrival on her table. She went to work, and noticed something else. The three long scratches looked partly healed, but the neck wound was the same as on the other bodies.

"Poor girl. You escaped the first time, but they came back to finish you off." Alexx said to the body, preparing to clean it. Natalia came in, and shuddered.

"I still shudder went I first see the dead body. MO is the same, right?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, but this one may have escaped for a time, but was finished off a little later." Alexx said, "the scratches on her abdomen are older then the wound on her neck."

"Can you give me a guess on how old?" Natalia asked, "That can't be over a day or two old."

"I would guess them to be about two or three days old. Here's the evidence tray." Alexx said, sliding the silver dish over to Natalia, who picked up a sapphire blue stone to examine it. It flashed suddenly, and the next thing both CSI and ME knew, Natalia changed. Her form melted into the body of a mini horse with a horn and wings she was metallic blue in color.

"I knew it was too good to be true when I was born normal!" Natalia changed back quickly.

"Welcome." Alexx said, "To the new demonic world."

"Thanks. It was odd. I didn't feel any different in alicorn form." Natalia said.

Suddenly, they heard screams from the DNA Lab, and took off.

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Valera screamed again, her back up against the wall. In front of her, the shadow demon hissed. It looked like a fox, but it had flaming wings, and red eyes. Its tail looked more catlike then that of a fox.

"Tell ue zhere the chosens are, zouan!" The demon snarled a paw on her throat.

"Chosens? I don't know what you mean!" Valera cried.

"Lies! Sou lie! Sou onoz zhat iou taloing anout!" the Demon snarled.

"Really! I have no idea!" Valera cried.

At that moment, Alexx came flying in, in phoenix form, with Natalia and Calliegh behind her. Both women had switched over to their other forms.

"Grappling Gun!" Calliegh called, as the weapon appeared in her hands. She fired the hooks, pinning the fox to the wall.

"Talk!" Alex alighted onto a chair.

"I zill not talo" the fox said.

"I zill not talo? What does that mean?" Alexx asked.

"This may help." Natalia lit her horn, "Run that by me again."

"I will not talk!" The demon roared.

"Hey, it worked. I translated demon to human English." Natalia said.

"You are going to talk, an talk, now!" Calliegh gave the rope in her hand a tug, electing a yelp from the demon.

"Foolish mortals. You may be the chosens, but not for long. Soon, Cronamus will sense my distress, and send the entire dark army after you." the Demon said.

"How do we know you're not lying?" Calliegh asked.

"I know because he is here." the fox grinned evilly.

The door to the lab blew open. The phoenix, huntress, and Alicorn turned, to see Cronamus dawning over them. Rick, in wolf form, and Ursa were on ether side of him.

"That can't be Horatio." Calliegh said, eyes wide.

"I am the Demigod Cronamus, the last living thing you will ever see!" Cronamus snarled.

"Actually, we will be the last thing you see!" Natalia cried, "Lets go!"

Alexx took to the air, and went after Rick. Ursa got busy with Natalia, who discovered she could teleport out of the way of Ursa's giant paws. That left Cronamus to Calliegh, who didn't waste any time attacking.

"Rifle!" Calliegh called, leveling a rifle at Cronamuses head, "Sayonara, creep!"

Cronamus raised a hand, and flicked his wrist, sending the huntress flying backward into a wall. The next thing Calliegh knew, Cronamus was towering over her, and she was reverting back to herself.

"Sayonara, mortal." Cronamus growled, his hand glowing.

Calliegh saw her own crystal forming in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, Alexx and Natalia charged at Cronamus. Natalia disappeared under Ursa's paws, and reappeared in the air above him.

"You just don't know when to stop, don't you?" Natalia lowered her horn, and dove. She hit Ursa's side, and sent it rolling. The fight continued, and things looked worse and worse for the three women. Just as it seemed hopeless, a silver winged wolf and a brown bear with crystal eyes joined the fray.

"Cronamus!" Horatio screamed, "Who knew you would stoop this low?"

"Horatio, we meet again." Cronamus turned, and met the business end of Horatio's paws.

"Hey dead meat! Over here!" Ryan called, charging at Ursa, who whipped around to meet his challenge.

"Thanks for the save, Ryan!" Natalia called, landing a kick on Ursa in the process.

"You're welcome!" Ryan called back.

Cronamus flicked his wrist, sending Horatio flying through a glass wall. He hit the floor, rolled, and rose, flecks of blood covering his flanks. He shot back into the lab, surprising Cronamus, who had just napped Alexx's crystal. He sank his teeth into Cronamuses arm, forcing the Demigod to drop the two crystals. Minutes later, the battle ended with Cronamus retreating with Ursa, Rick, and the fox demon. Scared lab techs peeked into the devastated DNA lab.

"You think it is over?" a computer tech whispered.

"I don't know!" a trace lab tech whispered back.

"S-should we go c-check?" a DNA Lab tech asked, voice shaking.

The three techs walked cautiously into the DNA Lab.

"You guys all right?" the computer lab tech asked.

"We are okay." Calliegh said, "go back to work."

"What just happened? Did I really see a silver armored angel, a purple phoenix, a blue alicorn, a crystal eyed bear, and a silver wolf with wings? This is where I work." the DNA lab tech asked.

"No, you didn't see anything. An experiment I ordered Valera to do went bad and exploded. Valera, you okay?" Horatio asked, rising slowly, as he reverted back to human form. He was paler then before.

"I think so." Valera said, "Guys, it was an experiment gone bad, now shoo. I've got a mess to clean."

"I have an autopsy to finish. Natalia, you were with me." Alexx said, as she resumed her human form. The others followed suit.

"H, are you sure you are okay?" Ryan asked a few minutes later.

"I'm fine, for the last time!" Horatio snapped, "Why do you keep insisting on checking on me?"

"okay! I'll back off for now!" Ryan threw up his hands in defeat, and went off to help Valera clean up the DNA lab.

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Eric ran, the warm sand feeling good under his bare feet. His mind kept going back to Calliegh, and the look of hurt on her face when he had said those words.

'_I've hurt her. Some friend I turned out to be! What was I thinking, calling her unnatural, for? I should not have said that to her! She is not unnatural, and I blew my chance at getting her! I should apologize to her._' Eric thought, turning back toward the Lab, and running again. He entered the lab to find a scene of pure pandemonium. The sound of sirens filled his ears. He tapped the shoulder of a passing lab tech, and asked, "What is going on?"

"Its Horatio. He was found unconscious in his office, and we can't get him to wake up." the Lab tech watched Eric race off.

Eric ran faster, dodging lab personnel left and right. He nearly ran over Frank, who was gasping as he ran up the stairwell. Eric took a left at the top of the stairs, his blood roaring in his ears. He ran into Horatio's office ahead of the paramedics.

"Ryan! What happened?" Eric asked, stopping to catch his breath.

"I don't know! I found him like this!" Ryan cried, stepping out of the wy of the paramedics.

At that moment, Calliegh ran in, and froze like a deer caught in headlights when she saw Eric. She refused to even acknowledge his presence. Ryan stared at them, confusedly.

"Calliegh, I'm sorry I called you unnatural." Eric tried, ignoring Ryan's confused look.

"Why are you bringing it up, Eric? I was ready to open my heart to you!" Calliegh snapped.

"Guys, now is so not the time for this!" Ryan cried, "Horatio is ill, and being rushed to the hospital as we speak, and can't you two leave the relationship at home for once?"

"Stay out of this, Ryan!" Eric ordered, eyes blazing, "I was scared, Calliegh! Its not everyday you discover your girlfriend has a new power!"

"I didn't ask for it, Eric!" Calliegh screamed back.

"Hey, hey, hey! Not here, not now! Lets go!" Ryan cried, clearly terrified at being stuck in the middle of a squabble between his best friends. Eric followed Ryan silently, hurting at Callieghs response at his attempt at an apology. Calliegh was behind him, still steamed over the fact that Eric called her unnatural. They followed the ambulance over to the hospital, and gathered in the emergency waiting area. Alexx, Natalia, Frank, and Valera joined them sometime later.

"Alexx, something happened between Calliegh and Eric." Ryan said.

"Tell me about it. They must have had a fight." Alexx said.

"Calliegh, are you ready to forgive me yet? I'm sorry for calling you unnatural." Eric said, "You are as normal as the rest of us."

"Apology accepted. You said something about wanting to date me. How about a coffee later?" Calliegh asked.

"It's a date." Eric smiled.

Just then, a doctor came in. her latex gloves were covered in blood.

"It doesn't look good for him right now. He has been bleeding internally, and it has pooled into his abdominal cavity. We haven't found the source of his bleeding, yet. He has developed a fever, and we can't operate until it goes down. He is conscious, but we don't know if he is aware of anything. So far, he has not responded to any stimulus. No visitors, but you may go watch through the window. ICU room four." The doctor said, "We are doing everything we can for him. Its still touch and go."

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**Queen Sunstar: I'm going to stop here, for now. Please review, and tell me how I am doing. I don't care if it is a flame. I love reviews!**


	6. Frank as leo, the lion

**Queen Sunstar: I'm back with another fresh chapter! Have some Kleenex ready, as this chapter is under heartbreak warning, toward the end.**

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"It doesn't look good for him right now. He has been bleeding internally, and it has pooled into his abdominal cavity. We haven't found the source of his bleeding, yet. He has developed a fever, and we can't operate until it goes down. He is conscious, but we don't know if he is aware of anything. So far, he has not responded to any stimulus. No visitors, but you may go watch through the window. ICU room four." The doctor said, "We are doing everything we can for him. Its still touch and go."

Calliegh felt her stomach clench in fear. She ordered herself to calm down. They would get through this. Numbly, she followed behind Eric as he took the lead and walked down to the ICU floor. He found room four, and stopped. He forced himself to turn around, and look into the room.

Several tubes fed into Horatios body. A Cardiac Monitor toned as it registered another heart beat of its patient. An oxygen mask covered his face. Eric noticed that Horatio's eyes were open, but they were unfocused, and completely blank. Ryan felt hot tears forming in the corners of his eyes, and couldn't help but wonder if this could have been prevented if he had spoken up earlier. Alexx berated herself mentally for not recognizing the signs of internal bleeding sooner. It was dead quiet.

"This is my fault. I should have said something sooner." Ryan broke the silence.

"That's not true, Ryan." Frank said.

"I might have been able to prevent something like this." Ryan said.

"Ryan, stop. If it is anyone's fault, I'm as much to blame as anyone else." Alexx said, "I am a doctor. I should have recognized the signs of internal bleeding."

"Stop with the guilt trips already! Nobody is to blame for this! We should be made at Horatio for this! He is always saying he is fine, when he knows he isn't fine! Remember, nearly seven years ago, we almost lost him when his appendix burst because he kept hiding the pain! If anybody is to blame, its Horatio!" Calliegh cried out.

"She does have a good point." Valera said, "Why don't we head back to the lab, and put in a few more hours of work before the graveyard shift comes in? It will do us some good to get lost in our current case. I think I was on to something before my lab got destroyed. Don't worry, your secret is 100 percent safe with me."

"Thanks Valera. She does have a point, people. Lets make some headway into the case!" Calliegh ordered.

"Hold it! Who appointed you as the new supervisor?" Frank asked, "I believe that's my duty as the other lieutenant!"

"Yea, but you are not a CSI!" Calliegh pointed out.

You two, knock it off! Nether of you are running the lab! As it so happens, I out rank the two of you, so that means I'm in charge!" Alexx said, "The ME takes over first, if the head is unable to perform his/her duties."

"Why did something cold pass over my heart when she said that?" Ryan asked.

"We are doomed, Ryan. She's going to run us through the ground!" Eric cried, "Can't Frank or Calliegh do it? You about killed us the last time you took charge!"

"I know, and remember the number of cases closed we had?" Alexx asked, "I made you guys actually do more work, less socializing."

"You made us work 24/7!" Calliegh pointed out.

"Yes, but who got the week long vacation when Horatio was able to return to his duties?" Alexx asked.

"Good point." Calliegh said, "you don't get to run us through the ground, this time."

"And I won't, this time. Lets head back to the lab, and I need someone not connected to the case to stay here with Horatio. Frank, that would be you. You are going to give me hourly updates on his condition. The rest of us, lets go." Alexx said.

This time, she drove. She walked into her morgue, and felt herself burst into flames, again. Alexx quickly put herself out. She was now in complete control of her new found ability. She noticed the new body, and did a double take. For a second, Alexx thought she was looking at Frank. The body had the same build and facial features as the lieutenant, but the body's hair was a different color, and was longer. One hand was clenched tightly in a fist. Like the other bodies, there were three scratches on the abdomen, and the throat was ripped open.

"Who killed you, sweetie?" Alexx crooned to the body, as she got to work. Calliegh came in behind her.

"Another slasher victim?" she asked.

"yes, and it is not Frank." Alexx said, "Are we any… hold on, evidence in one of the abdominal scratches! it's a claw! Run it to Valera for DNA analysis!"

"Okay!" Calliegh took the evidence bag, and went up to the DNA lab, "Alexx found a claw!"

"Eric found a link to **Dollmaker**, and I'm working it." Ryan called, "Eric, I love you! **Dollmaker** left an email address at one of the custom shops in Miami!"

"Ryan, you're sick! Good, lets go follow it, and take Natalia too!" Calliegh called over her shoulder.

"I'll run the claw right now!" Valera called.

"I'm staying here, to help Valera. I would get in the way if this lead turns demonic." Eric said, being drowned out by a ringing phone. Calliegh answered it. It was Frank, calling in an update.

"H's fever is going down. They are going to do an exploratory surgery on him as soon as it drops out of the 100s." Frank said.

"That's good. Speaking of which, would you mind asking the friend of yours that's a judge to sign a search warrant for a store in downtown Miami?" Calliegh asked.

"I'll see what I can do. Grounds?" Frank asked, "I can't guarantee anything."

"Eric was helping Ryan with his quest to figure out who **Dollmaker** is, and we think **Dollmaker** may have kidnapped somebody. He found out that **Dollmaker** left an email address at Customtopia, a store here in downtown Miami. We need that warrant to get a hold of that email address." Calliegh explained.

"That shall be my next call." Frank hung up, and called a certain Judge that still owed him a favor, Judge Wakens. The Judge was in her late sixties, but looked like she was in her early fifties with her well kept looks. She was known as Judge Hardball by lawyers behind her back because of her low release record. She was one of Franks oldest friends.

"Wakens, its Tripp." Frank said into the cell phone, ignoring the orderly which had been sent out to find him.

"Tripp, what did you do this time?" Wakens's voice was crisp.

"My CSI's need a warrant to search Customtopia." Frank said.

"What happened? Did a custom come to life and kill someone?" Wakens joked.

"No, we have a lead, but to follow it, we need an email address. We have reason to suspect the email addresses owner kidnapped someone." Frank chuckled at Wakens's joke. He knew he could always call on Wakens to cheer him up.

"Frank Tripp?" the Orderly tried again.

Frank turned, and put up a finger, signaling just a minute.

"Consider it done." Wakens said, "I'll fax it to the lab."

"Thanks, Wakens. I owe you one." Frank closed his phone, and turned to the Orderly, "Yes?"

"I was sent by Dr. Freeland to find you. Horatio's temperature is down low enough for us to operate safely. We need your go ahead." The Orderly said.

"You have my go ahead, but I think you need his sister in law, Yelina Salas, for this. I'll try to contact her." Frank opened his phone, and wondered if this was how a phone relay operator felt after a long work day.

"Salas." Came the reply on the first ring.

"Yelina. This is Tripp. Horatio's in the hospital, and I need you here." Frank said, "It's serious."

"What happened?" Yelina's voice rose a few octaves.

"He is bleeding internally, and they are going to do an exploratory surgery to try to determine where the blood is coming from. They need your okay." Frank said.

"They have my okay, and I'm coming down there! Which hospital?" Yelina asked.

"Miami Dade Municipal." Frank said.

"I'm on my way." Yelina said, hanging up.

"Mom, what is it?" Ray JR, her son, asked.

"Your uncle, Horatio is in the hospital, and You are going to stay with Alexx for a few days while I deal with your uncle, Okay?" Yelina asked.

"Okay, Mom. Promise me you will call every now and then to let me know how Uncle Horatio is doing." Ray JR said.

"Be good for Alexx." Yelina said, sometime later, as she let Ray JR off at the lab. Alexx had agreed to watch Ray JR for the next few days. She watched him grab his spider-man overnight bag and run into the lab. She pulled away from the curb, unaware that a black winged wolf was watching her from the roof of the building, and that it was following her car.

"Alexx! I'm here! Cool! An autopsy in progress! Can I watch? Can I please?" Ray JR asked, as he burst into the morgue.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Ray JR! Put your bag into the office, and yes, you can watch me work, if your homework is done, first." Alexx smiled.

"Aw! How'd you know I had homework?" Ray JR asked.

"I know your Uncle too well, and he does the same thing. Once the homework is done, you can watch." Alexx chuckled, remembering all the times she had to chase Horatio out of the morgue because he had paperwork warming his desk.

"Okay." Ray JR said, going into the office, "Can I do it out here?"

"Work stays in the office, kiddo." Alexx said.

"Okay." Ray JR said.

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The ancient fax machine in the break room belched, and wheezed in protest. Calliegh scowled.

"Work, already, or I promise I will show you the business end of a riffle." Calliegh told the machine, whose response was to spit out the warrant right into her face. She growled at the machine, and turned to face a laughing Ryan, and Natalia, giving her an odd look.

"What?" She asked.

"Fax Machine blues?" Natalia asked, "That was the one thing Horatio mad me promise not to replace. I even offered to have it moved to his office for his private use, but again, no go."

"I hate that thing, and that other thing I shall not name!" Calliegh pointed at the Copy machine, which chose that moment to burp, and spit out a copy of a DNA report for a lab tech.

"What? It works fine for me." The Lab Tech said.

"I'm sorry!" Ryan laughed, "Calliegh threatening the fax machine struck me funny!"

"Lets go." Calliegh said, taking the keys. They took a service Hummer, and drove down to Customtopia. Once there, the three CSI's walked into the store. It was dimly lit, and on the shelves lining the walls, a custom doll perched proudly under its own light. Some of those dolls were ponies, while others were hot wheels cars, and there were several care bears, and one or two transformers. The walls were painted black, and the windows were covered, making the store even darker. Custom supplies decorated the shelves not against the wall. Calliegh noticed a dark hallway off the main room with the words Hall of Fright curving over the top of the arched doorway. Ryan noticed, and signaled that he would go investigate. She nodded to him, and noticed another, more brightly lit room with the words Hall of Fantasy over the top. Just then, Ryan let out a blood curling scream, and ran from the Hall of Fright, still screaming. He dove into Callieghs arms.

"They're all alive!" He wailed.

"Ryan! They are just toys!" Calliegh cried.

"Or are they?" A voice whispered by her ear, causing her to jump, and drop Ryan. She spun around to face a heavyset, balding man who looked about forty with piercing blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses.

"We are CSI's, and this is a search warrant to search this store. We are looking for anything and anyone with the screen name, **Dollmaker**. We have reason to believe **Dollmaker **is behind the kidnapping of Jodye Rudolph. Are you the store owner?" Calliegh asked.

"Yes, I am, and **Dollmaker **is my screen name. My name is Louis Camilla. I have nothing to do with a kidnapping. Would this Jodye look something like this?" Louis picked up a doll.

"Yes, she looks just like that!" Ryan gasped, "Hold on while I recover from a heart attack! Is that supposed to be blood?"

"Blood?" Louis looked at the doll, and smelled it, "its red acrylic, and it is all over her."

"She has just become evidence. We need to check the other dolls to make sure there are none others like this. Someone may be trying to send a message, and Louis, how do you know what Jodye looked like?" Calliegh asked, bagging the doll as evidence.

"I like to imagine what the person behind the screen name looks like, and then, I pick a doll to customize in their image." Louis explained.

Ryan walked into the Hall of Fantasy to look around. He saw tons of horse and pony customs, and four customs drew his attention. He tried to remember where he had seen them before. They were the yellow dragon pony, the black winged unicorn, the lilac baby winged unicorn, and the black baby dragon pony. They had been arranged to look like a family. Ryan finally placed the four figures as the four he had seen on the web site. This raised a red warning flag. Ryan bagged the four as evidence of thievery, and heard a knocking noise. He followed it to its source, and rolled back the door. A woman stumbled out, collapsing to the floor. Ryan caught her on the way down, and sat by her.

"Are you Jodye Rudolph, also known as **Primaqueen** online? I'm CSI Ryan Wolfe, also known as **CSIwolfdog** online." Ryan asked the shaking, tiny woman in his arms.

"Yes. I'm Jodye Rudolph. Have you come to save me from that monster?" Jodye asked.

"Yes, I have. These are yours, right? I saw them on your web site." Ryan said.

"Yes. The yellow one is my online persona, Sunstar, and the others are her mate, Bryon, the big black one, and her two children, Sunfire, and Jetfire. I created them myself, and customized them from extra ponies I had, laying around. They are in the Generation 3 line." Jodye said, "Where am I?"

"You are in Miami, Florida. I'm going to take you to a hospital, and I will need to get your story on what happened. Then, I'll make sure we get you home, to Washington. You have some very worried friends. Wait, how are you communicating so well when you are deaf, and you don't have your Laptop?" Ryan asked.

"I wasn't always deaf. I have a rare deformity of a protein in my ears that has closed off my ear canal, making me completely deaf. I'm a CSI, myself. I lip read, and I'm so good at it that my main job is to read what our bad guys are saying on a screen." Jodye smiled, "I'm in Miami, huh?"

"You are, and lets get you out of here." Ryan stood, and helped Jodye up. They went back out to the main room of the store. Louis turned, and grinned maliciously. Then he changed into Ursa. Jodye let out a scream of fear, "He's the one who kidnapped me!"

"Jodye! Get down, and stay down!" Ryan ordered, "I'll explain later! I promise!"

"Ursa!" Natalia in alicorn form, charged the skeletal bear, and rammed him with her horn, giving Ryan and Calliegh the opening they needed to change. Seconds later, an armor clad angel, and a brown bear with twinkle eyes joined the fray.

"Die, Ursa! And stay that way!" Natalia's horn glowed, and seconds later, a wave of energy shot through Ursa's body. Callieghs hands glowed, and a flame torch appeared in her hands. She used fire on it. Ryan charged, and pinned Ursa to the ground. Snarling, he bit down on its neck. Ursa gurgled, glowed white, and was destroyed. Jodye stood.

"Thanks, Orina, Bree, and Tailia, for saving me. Your secret is safe with me, as there is something else I didn't tell Bree. I'm also Brillia, a member of the Trinity. I'm the nun that went up against the Demigod, Cronamus." Jodye said.

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Frank ran into Alexx's morgue. He had received a cryptic message from the ME, and he was scared for her. Alexx's back was turned, and she turned to face him.

"Alexx, what is it?" He asked.

"Frank, you are about to become one of us. This is your stone." Alexx said, sliding the evidence tray toward him.

"What?" Frank stared at the orange stone cautiously, "That stone?"

"Yes. Touch it, now! You need to go save Yelina from Rick! Hurry!" Alexx cried.

Frank reached out, and picked up the stone. Nothing happened at first, and then, he was enveloped in orange light. When the light died down, a lion stood where Frank had stood. He looked like a typical lion, but he had a horn, and his eyes were dark orange jewel eyes. Frank noticed that his senses were sharper.

"So this is what it is like… I'm gone, Alexx!" Frank thought of Yelina, and was transported right to her.

Yelina had stepped outside to call Ray JR, when she heard the growl. She turned, and came eyeball to eyeball with a black winged wolf. Shock crossed her features.

"Lovely Yelina. You are still as beautiful as you were on the day we first met." Rick snarled, "I have a deal for you. Join me and together we will purge this world of all that's good. Then you can rule by my side."

"Rick?" Yelina asked, "What has happened to you?" her mind screamed at her to run, run away from the monster, yet she stayed put.

"I found my true potential, as a lieutenant for Cronamus, my master! Are you with me?" Rick asked.

"No, I'm not with you!" Yelina screamed.

"At that moment, Frank appeared, and charged at Rick. The two became locked in a vicious battle. Frank blocked a blow from Rick, and retaliated with an attack of his own. Rick lowered his own horn, and charged. Frank caught the attack with his horn, and succeeded in a glancing blow off of Ricks shoulder. He went on and swiped at Rick's side, digging his claws into Ricks flesh. Rick retreated, with Frank biting at his heels. Frank returned to Yelina, and reverted back to himself.

"Frank? What is going on?" Yelina asked.

"You don't want to know. How is Horatio?" Frank asked.

"He is still in surgery." Yelina said.

"Then lets go back inside." Frank said.

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"You were kidnapped, right? I saved you, right?" Ryan sputtered.

"Yes, and yes." Jodye answered.

"Lets treat you like we would with any other victim. I have an ambulance in route, and its here." Natalia said, reverting back to herself alongside Calliegh and Ryan.

"Please do." Jodye let herself be taken to the nearby Miami Dade Municipal, with the others following. Eric, Valera, and Alexx met up with them, and Frank and Yelina joined them seconds later.

"We saved Jodye, and she is getting checked out as we speak. How is H?" Ryan asked.

"He is still in surgery." Frank said.

At that moment, a nurse came out, and signaled to Yelina, who rose and met with the nurse.

"The doctors found the source of his bleeding. His aorta, that's the big artery behind the heart, has a tear on the lower southwestern region, and they need to put him on bypass while they try to repair it. This is extremely risky. There is a very strong chance that he could die. Do you want us to proceed?" the nurse asked.

"Proceed. Is there a way we can see him before hand?" Yelina asked, "just in case the unthinkable does happen?"

"We will do one better then that. You may watch in the observatory overlooking the OR." The nurse said.

Yelina and the others followed the Nurse up into the observatory. The observatory is a room lined with seats overlooking the OR. The com crackled to life next to them.

"I'm Dr. Freeland, the guy waving at you from the room below you. Horatio is the lucky one, here. He is in a nice sleep thanks to anesthesia. Before I begin, I will point out the machines I am using, but first, let me introduce Dr. Greta, the Cardiologist, Dr. Arwong, Anesthesiologist, and Nurse Caddy, my helper. We are all rooting for Horatio's survival, and we will do everything in our power to ensure his survival. The machines you see are a respirator, Cardiograph, and the big machine over there is a Bypass. Right now, I am looking at one very unhappy heart. This heart is not functioning properly because of a lack of blood flow. The lack of blood is being caused by this tear in the aorta, and Greta, here, is in the process of connecting Horatio to the Bypass. The Bypass will act as an external heart, and do the job his heart can't do until we fix the problem." Dr. Freeland said, working while he talked.

This went on for sometime. The CSI's watched the doctors work.

"I used to do stuff like this all the time." Alexx said, "I kind of miss it, but I'm happy where I am, now."

"Greta will now disconnect the Bypass, and I shall restart his heart with a pair of tong paddles. Low charge, please." Dr' Freeland said, picking up the paddles. They looked like giant spoons. Within seconds, Horatio's heart was working again.

"So far, so good." Alexx whispered.

"We aren't out of the woods yet." Dr. Freeland was drowned out by the sound of rapid beeping, and a rush of pooling blood around the heart.

"Damn! Oops! How unprofessional of me! Massive bleed out! Clamps! Crud! Where is the blood coming from?" Dr. Freeland cried.

Then they heard the worse sound in the world, a flat line.

"No." Calliegh whispered.

"Come on, fight, H!" Eric closed his eyes, and turned away from the heart wrenching scene in the OR. He wanted to be able to remember Horatio in a happier setting.

"Not this! Not now!" Yelina cried, "I should not have consented!"

"Found it, doctor. Its not good. We have a full rupture, see?" Greta gently moved the heart to show the damaged aorta.

"Coming through with Bypass!" Arwong called.

"Smart move!" Greta reattached the machine to Horatio, thus keeping him alive.

"Greta, we can't repair a full rupture." Freeland said, "Its virtually impossible."

"We can, and we will, so get busy. His friends and family are watching." Greta ordered.

"I'm going back to the waiting room. I can't watch any more." Eric said, sometime later. He left, and went back into the waiting room. A lump had formed in his throat. He thought back to the time when his best friend, Tim Speedle, died. Horatio had been the one to tell him of Speed's death. Then came the death of his sister, Marisol. They still hadn't caught her killer. Hot tears spilled down his face.

'_Marisol, Speed, if you can hear me, where ever you are, protect Horatio! He is fighting for his life, oh god! It hurts so much! Calliegh? What is she doing here? She's crying! Oh no! no! He's gone!_' Eric thought.

"Eric, they are doing everything they can for him." Calliegh whispered, her own tears leaving a sparkling trail down her pretty face.

"They are losing him, right?" Eric choked back a sob that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Yes." Calliegh cried, dropping into Eric's arms. The two sat together in the waiting room, their anguish being shared as a fresh wave of tears escaped their throats.

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"Take that picture, Ryan, and I promise, I will kill you!" Alexx snapped, her anguish coming out in the form of anger. She felt herself heating up, and knew what was coming.

'_Oh nuts! Not now!_' She thought.

"What? It's a cute picture!" Ryan chuckled.

"Ryan Wolfe! How could you be laughing at a time like this?" Valera asked.

"Want me to give you something to cry about?" Natalia asked, "Cause I will!"

"What? I don't cry when I grieve. I laugh." Ryan said.

At that moment, Alexx burst into flames, and put herself out in record time.

"Ladies, lets be civil, now." Frank stepped between them, "I better do the hurting cause if ether of you do it, you might damage Ryan emotionally."

"Oh pul-lease! Ryan is already damaged!" Valera said.

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Ryan cried.

"Stop it, all of you!" Yelina cried, "nobody is going to hurt poor Ryan!"

"Yay! Somebody does love me!" Ryan cheered, and Yelina promptly smacked him, "What was that for?"

"That was because you were being an idiot, and that's because I like the sound of it!" Yelina snapped, "Now be good!"

"Yes Yelina, I'll be good now." Ryan said.

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**Queen Sunstar: I'll stop here, and leave you all hanging until the next installment. Starting June 22, the daycare where I work will be switching over to its summer schedule. That means my break will be from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, instead of from 12:30 to 2:45. I don't have an internet connection to my apartment yet, so I have to use one of the daycare computers. I will still try to update weekly. Next chapter is a short chapter, and we will find out what our dear lieutenant Horatio is going through in his mind. Prepare for some good laughs, as I bring in two characters from the grave. Plus, lookie at who dropped by to run the disclaimer for me. **

**Rick: Queen Sunstar don't own anybody from CSI Miami. The dolts at NBC do. She owns only her own characters like Jodye, Brillia, Lumin, Dusk, Cronamus, Ursa, the powers, which is no fair, I wanted to keep my own power, and use it on a certain redheaded lieutenant so I can take his place as head CSI of Miami, and the unnamed fox demon from chapter five.**

**Queen Sunstar: I heard that, Rick. Want me to make you a female black winged wolf?**

**Rick: You wouldn't dare!**

**Queen Sunstar: I would dare, and I will, if you don't start being good.**

**Rick: Okay, omit line of text starting at which is no fair, and ending with head CSI of Miami, and review, or I- (sees Queen Sunstar growling at him) Oh forget it. (storms off.)**

**Queen Sunstar: Review, please, and ignore the dolt that just left. (Hears Rick crash into door) Hey genius! Try opening the door next time!**

**Rick: Oh can it!**


	7. Horatio's reawakening

**Rick: )Looking around the office) Good, she's not here. Lets see, lets change things around to where I'm the hero, and Caine dies! (Queen Sunstar enters office, and taps Rick on the shoulder) Ahh! Hi, Queenie! I ah, I was running the disclaimer! **

**Queen Sunstar: Out, Rick! And watch out for the… child gate.**

**Rick: Stupid child gate! Seriously, consider putting a warning sign up about it!**

**Queen Sunstar: You mean the sign in front of your face? Anyway, I don't own anything regarding CSI Miami, only my own characters. **

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Everything hurt. He could hear the sound of voices. He felt the prick of a needle, and nothing more. Then he was waking up, on a beach. The waves splashed endlessly on the shore. He stood, and looked around.

"Oh god, somebody please tell me I'm not dead." He muttered.

"Horatio! Thank god we found you!" A very familiar voice called.

Horatio turned, and did a double take. It couldn't be Speed, there was no way, unless… but he ordered himself to not go there. Marisol was standing next to Speedle. She wore a white sundress, while Speed wore a simple white suit.

"Speed? Marisol? What is going on? I'm not dead, right?" Horatio asked.

"You will be, if you don't get back into your body, and fight like hell to stay alive!" Speedle cried.

"Speed, calm down. He still has sometime yet. Horatio, welcome to the Ghost Zone. Everybody passes through here, and the Death Angels decide where they go, Heaven, or Hell. Speedle and I are the current Death Angels. Speed is the Archangel, and is your guardian angel. Remember all of those times after Speed died, that you came close to death, Speed was there, protecting you. The time you took a bullet at close range in the chest, Speed was there, protecting you. The time you nearly drowned, Speed was there, and during the great Miami Earthquake, during the three days you lay trapped under half the lab, Speed was there." As Marisol talked, Horatio found himself remembering each of those times.

"Why do you want me to remember those times?" He asked.

"Horatio, Who was with you, when you were shot in the chest?" Marisol asked.

"Frank was with me. He kept me from bleeding out." Horatio said, "He was the one who brought me back during the time I nearly drowned, and it was him who found me after the quake. What are you getting at?"

"I'm surprised you still haven't figured it out. If Speed had lived, he would have become Leo the lion. It was the biomerged form of Cain and Leo that locked up Cronamus. When they separated, Cronamus managed to get off one last attack that killed Cain. Orina and Lexa can biomerge, too." Marisol said.

"Okay! He gets the point! He has a body to get back into now, or he'll be stuck here forever!" Speedle cried.

"Calm down, Speedle." Marisol purred, her hand on the Archangels arm.

"But, but, but he'll- Oh! Why did we get stuck together?" Speedle stomped his foot.

"Are you saying that in animal form, Frank and I can biomerge?" Horatio asked.

"Yes! Can we go, yet? I doubt Eric and Calliegh will survive if you were to die now, like this! It's not your time, yet!" Speedle said.

"There is something else. The information-" Speedle interrupted Marisol.

"There's no time! He has to get back into his body, now!" Speedle cried.

"Speed, demon, behind you, around the bend. I'll take Horatio back as soo- right now, dear." Marisol said, watching Speedle scream like a girl, and run off around the bend, "Now, as I was saying, the information I was killed over trying to get to you was that Cronamus is not your only enemy. The Demonic kind are amassing, and getting ready for His reawakening. I discovered that He is not one being, but three beings. Locking Him up drained the Trinity, and when Cronamus rose, they split their remaining power among seven mortals. Cronamuses recent reawakening will herald in the reawakening of Him. My killer was Rick."

At that moment, Speed screamed like a girl, again, and ran back around the corner, "it's a giant spider demon! Marisol, save me!"

"Speed, are you sure this thing is a demon?" Marisol asked, as a tiny spider walked around the bend, "That goes directly to heaven." She pointed at it, and it disappeared.

"You are still here? That means you are stone cold dead now, old friend." Speedle said.

"Speed, he still has oh, thirty seconds? LETS GO!" Marisol cried, "I'll take him back!" She took a hold of Horatio's arm.

The scene dissolved into the operating room. Horatio saw himself being worked on by a team of doctors. He heard one of them call out last try, and felt the electrical currents shoot through his body.

"Get into your body! Now!" Marisol cried, throwing him forward.

"Right! I'll make sure to nail Rick as soon as I can!" Horatio answered, being sucked into his body.

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_"I wonder if he can hear us."_

"I can hear you, Calliegh."

_"Do you think he is in any pain?"_

_"Let see, they broke his ribcage open to get to his heart, and they repaired his aorta, and they fought to bring him back, so he was shocked several times, so what do you think, Eric?"_

"I am in no pain, Ryan."

_"It's been nearly two weeks! Something should have changed! Why isn't he not waking up?"_

_"It's the kind of coma he is in, Natalia."_

"They can't hear me. I'm in a coma. Why can't I wake up?"

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"Its been nearly two weeks! Something should have changed! Why isn't he not waking up?" Natalia asked.

"It's the kind of Coma he is in, Natalia." Alexx said.

It was early Monday morning, and sunlight streamed through the ICU room's only window. Each day, Alexx and Natalia would meet in the hospital, grab breakfast from a vending machine, and spend the time until they had to go to the lab for work in Horatio's room. Calliegh and Frank would stop by during lunch, and Ryan and Eric would stop by after work, and stay until the rest of the gang showed up. Valera visited when ever she could. Jodye had already been sent back to Washington, but on her way out, she had stopped by to offer her condolences.

"It's time for us to head to work." Natalia said, nodding over at Yelina, who had stayed by Horatio's side since Frank had called her.

"I know, call hourly for updates." Yelina said, her voice thick from unshed tears.

It was midmorning, when the call everyone had been hoping for came in from Yelina.

"Let me put you on speaker phone." The receptionist said, as the other CSI's and Lab Techs crowded around her.

"Well?" Calliegh prompted, totally forgetting about the revolver she was working on in her hands.

"Horatio is awake, but he is still weak- I'm going to hold the phone for you! Wait just a minute!- He wants to talk with all of you, first." Yelina said.

Everyone cheered, and the battle for the phone began. It was ended by Calliegh accidentally firing her revolver, right into the floor. Ryan screamed like a girl, and dove into Eric's arms.

"Calm down! Ryan, you scream like a girl, by the way, and the phone is on speaker phone." the Receptionist said, "That's good news, Yelina."

"Calliegh, you are fixing the hole you just put in the floor of my lab." Horatio said.

"How does he know?" Calliegh asked.

"You just told me. I'm doing great, no pain, and everybody better be on their best behavior for Alexx." Horatio said.

"Yes! I'm officially in charge, now!" Alexx cheered.

"Alexx, I expect to come back and find my team in one piece, understand? No running them into the ground, this time. I'm fine, now." Horatio said.

"you gave us a scare, H. Next time you say you're fine when you are clearly not fine, I'm liable not to believe you." Ryan said, "I was beating myself up over what happened to you! By the way, we have made some headway into the Slasher Case."

"I found a claw in an abdominal scratch. Ryan's **Dollmaker **lead turned into Ursa, who has been defeated, and the claw belongs to Rick. Jodye, the girl who was kidnapped is back home in Washington, and I took the liberty of calling both Tony and Mac, so they both know what happened to you. You are not allowed to scare us like this again, you hear?" Alexx said.

"I hear you, Alexx. I'll see you all later." Horatio said, allowing Yelina to take the phone away from him, and help him lay flat on his back again.

"I'm going to leave you alone for a bit later to go pick up Ray JR. He was worried about you, too. You have got to stop scaring us like this. You have had one too many close calls." Yelina said, "I'm so relieved to see you awake, again." Yelina said.

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**Queen Sunstar: another chapter finished! How'd I do? Review, please!**


	8. Flare Comes Thundering In

**Rick: The dolts at NBC own me, and everything else regarding CSI Miami, and CSI NY. Queen Sunstar owns only her own characters like Lumin, Dusk, and Brillia. (Glances around Office) She's not here at the moment, time to highjack the story!**

**Mac: I wouldn't do that if I were you, Rick.**

**Rick: Hey! Where did you come from? Go back to your unpublished story!**

**Mac: In case you haven't heard, our lovely Author is turning this into a crossover with CSI NY. I'm stuck up here with you.**

**Rick: Why couldn't she use Stella over you, and why do you have bat wings?**

**Mac: Read on to find out why I'm part demon, okay? On to story!**

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Horatio was bored out of his mind. He had been stuck inside the hospital for over five weeks, and had been moved out of the ICU a week and a half ago. It was early evening. He flipped on the TV with the remote, and channel surfed through several channels until he came to a news station. He was about to change the channel again when a breaking news bulletin flashed across the screen. He recognized the CSI NY lab, and saw the smoke billowing out a window.

'_That's Mac's lab! What experiment went wrong this time? Do I even want to know? Wait, where is Mac?_' Horatio thought, watching the screen. He and Mac were best friends, and had been in the bomb squad together.

The right side of the building exploded, raining debris on the crowds below. Horatio felt helpless for the first time in his life. He was unable to do a thing except watch as the NY crime lab was being destroyed. At that moment, Yelina came in with Calliegh and Alexx with her.

"Oh my god, that's the NY Crime Lab! What did Mac do now?" Calliegh asked, eyes now glued to the screen.

"I don't know. So far, they have talked to Stella, Danny, Tom, Don, and Sheldon. I don't know why, but I have a gut feeling that Mac had something to do with this." Horatio said, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'm amazed that their Lab is still standing." Yelina said.

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In the Miami crime lab, Eric ran to the break room once he heard from a lab tech that the crime lab in New York had been hit with some kind of explosion.

"Frank, quick! Turn on the news!" Eric cried, running into the break room.

"The TV is on! The NY Crime Lab is under attack! Most of the CSI's got out, but Mac got trapped inside! Its now too hot for Firefighters to get in!" Frank cried, "Mac is Horatio's best friend!"

"Ours, too, since he helped us solve that beheading serial killer case years ago!" Eric wailed, "They can't leave him to die!"

"They still have contact with him!" Frank wailed in the same high tone Eric was using.

"There he is! He walked out!" Eric cried, "He's okay!"

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Mac had been inside the Lab, going over a piece of evidence when the first explosion rocked the building. He had given the order to evacuate, but he had gotten pinned by a heavy piece of equipment. Stella tried to move it, but it was too heavy for her to move.

"Stella, Go! I'll be fine!" Mac cried, as another explosion tore through the building.

"But Mac!" Stella cried, "I don't want to leave you alone in here, like this!"

"Its an order, Stella!" He watched her leave, knowing how this must be hurting her. He soon found himself thinking of his best friend in Miami.

'_This is already on the news, so I take it you are watching the news. I'm going to walk out of this, I promise, and I promise to fly down for a visit. I'm getting out of this alive._' he thought, wondering how long it would take for rescuers to come. Then, a pair of black boots came into view. He looked up as best as he could to see a man wearing all black, and had a pair of black bat wings.

"Get in touch with your heritage." the man spoke calmly.

"Who are you?" Mac asked.

"Who I am is irrelevant. Let it over take you." the man answered.

"What heritage?" Mac asked, wondering if he were already dead.

"You mean you don't know? You are part Vampremire, a type of winged demon. Your father was a fully blooded Vampremire. Your mother was human, making you a half blood." the man answered.

"I'm a what? Demons don't exist, right?" Mac asked, "I'm hallucinating. This is just a hallucination."

"This is no hallucination. My name is Dusk, and I am the demonic member of the Trinity. Let your demonic half take over." Dusk said, "I'm not supposed to do this, but you are an important case to me, Mackie."

"My father's pet name for me! You knew my father, right?" Mac asked, wondering if he should believe what he had just heard.

"Lets say I did." Dusk said, "Your are running out of time, Mackie. Let your dark side come to the light, now!"

"What do I need to do?" Mac asked.

Dusk knelt by him, and rested a hand on his arm, "let it come to the light."

Mac felt the changes come on, felt the sharp pain in his back, felt his canine teeth growing, and felt his claws growing. He felt an odd sensation, and the next thing he knew, he was standing next to Dusk. He looked at himself through a mirror. He still looked the same, other then the bat like wings, teeth, and claws. He shocked himself further by becoming fully human. Vaguely, he became aware that it was growing hotter. The heat no longer fazed him. At that moment, several firefighters reached him. Mac looked around for Dusk, but didn't see him.

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Early the next morning, Eric Delko found himself stuck in the AV lab, covering for a lab tech that had gone home early. He watched a video taken by a security camera outside a recently robed bank. It was a nightshift case, but the nightshift were swamped with their other cases, so Eric took the bank robbery case off their hands. He worked on it during his spare time, which he had found himself swamped with because he wasn't allowed to work the ongoing slasher case. He had no way of protecting himself, and it drove him nuts, especially since they recently got a call of an attack in motion, and he had been ordered to stay at the lab while Frank led Calliegh, Ryan, Natalie, and Alexx out to do battle with the attacker. His eyes began to feel heavy. He kept himself awake by thinking about Horatio's latest call to the lab, saying that Mac had called, and had made plans to fly down to Miami for a week. Pretty soon, a soft snore escaped his lips as he nodded off to sleep.

Suddenly, Eric woke with a start. He looked around, wondering what woke him up. The Lab was quiet, too quiet. A soft glow lit the room behind him, and he turned.

"Marisol? It can't be! You died!" Eric cried.

"They are in trouble, Eric." Marisol said.

"Who is in trouble?" Eric asked.

"Frank's team is overwhelmed. They need you." Marisol said, her pretty face etched in worry.

"I'm only human. What can I do?" Eric asked.

"You can become Flare, the winged tiger. Here is your stone." Marisol said, placing a ruby red crystal in Eric's hand. Before Eric could protest, he felt himself changing. His senses became sharper, and his body changed to that of a white winged tiger.

"You are the last member. Now, you will have to train, and master your special ability. I do not know any more then this. Bye, my brother." Marisol faded, and Eric found himself waking up in the AV lab, still in tiger form. He reverted back to human form, and raced out to his car. He drove to the crime scene, and reverted back to tiger form. He ran up over the rise, and saw Frank in lion form, his sides flecked with blood, disappear under a pile of black humanoid demons. Alexx was in the sky, using her fire power to fight back a group of bat like aerial demons, alongside Calliegh. Natalia and Ryan were doing their best against several more fox like demons. Eric went to Franks aid.

"Eric! You too?" Calliegh knocked a demon out of the sky.

"Yes, me too." Eric said, fighting off another attack from a ground demon.

"These things are everywhere!" Ryan complained, "You kill one, and three more take its place! They just keep coming and coming!"

At that moment, Frank clawed his way out of the pile he was trapped under, "This was a set up! There's too many of them! Fall back to better fighting positions!"

"We need Horatio!" Calliegh cried, "Nail gun!" She sprayed nails everywhere, much to Ryan's dismay.

"Does it have to be a nail gun?" Ryan cried, "Why not a warhead? How about that silver colt that all demons fear?"

"I can't call anything silver!" Calliegh called.

"Fire seems to be pretty effective!" Alexx called, breathing a plume of angry red flames down at the demonic force below her. Eric found his wings, and had fun diving down through the demons, much to Franks dismay. Natalia teleported around a demon, confusing it. She landed a well placed rear kick, defeating it. Three more took its place.

"This is getting old!" She called.

Eric circled above them, and noticed that the Demons seamed to be protecting something. He shot toward it, faintly hearing Franks cry to fall back. He dove toward it, and got bowled over by a winged black blur.

"Rick!" Eric growled.

"Long time no see, Flare. Still working for the enemy, I see?" Rick hissed.

"I'm on the good side! Move, or I'll move you myself!" Eric snapped, unsheathing his claws.

"And if I don't?" Rick growled.

"We'll finally solve the old question of who is stronger, the canine or the feline!" Eric responded coldly, swiping at Rick, forcing him backward. Wolf and tiger lunged, locked in a battle of teeth and claws. Suddenly, a very familiar figure swooped down from the skies, teeth and claws out.

"You guys look like you could use a hand!" Mac called out, ripping into a demon, and destroying it.

"Itus the destroser!" a demon screamed.

"Translation, Natalia?" Frank called.

"Translation? It's the Destroyer! They are afraid of Mac!" Natalia called back, "Die already, creep!" She plunged her horn into a serpent demons chest, killing it. Two more took its place.

"Not fair!" Natalia complained.

"I can't keep going at this pace! They are winning!" Alexx wheezed, hovering to catch her breath.

"We can't surrender! Miami is counting on us!" Calliegh cried.

"Fall back!" Frank ordered, again.

"Eric!" Calliegh screamed, suddenly.

"Go! I'll go find him!" Mac ordered, diving down into yet another fray of demons, and slicing several to pieces. He shot up into the sky again, and did another dive over Eric and Rick. Eric ducked, and Rick yelped in surprise as he was swept into the air by Mac. Eric finally reached his goal, the heart of the demonic army. Calliegh appeared beside him.

"Mac is keeping Rick busy." She said.

"See that, Calliegh? Something tells me that is very important to the dark kind." Eric said, pointing with a black striped white paw at the large black shape in front of them. It pulsed, and twitched spasmodically. It looked like a black puddle of goop. Suddenly, it began to boil, and red lightening crackled along its surface.

"Back up!" Eric cried, shooting backward, the red lightening missing him by inches.

"What is that thing?" Calliegh asked.

"That is how we demons multiply ourselves in battle! Destroy it, win the battle!" Mac answered, hovering next to them, blood dripping from his fangs, "I wonder how Stella is going to react to the fact that I'm a half Demon?"

"Thanks for the tip! Grenades!" Calliegh called, "Cover me!"

The Huntress prepared her grenades as she dove toward the goop, and dropped them. She shot up into the sky, hearing the resonating roar as the two grenades imploded. Left and right, the demons shrieked as their bodies melted back into nonliving shadows, and vanished. The CSI's regrouped. Frank's sides were covered in bleeding scratches, and he held a paw in the air, an open wound on the paw pad. Alexx's left wing trailed behind her, the feathers ruffled. Ryan had a chunk of skin hanging from an open laceration on his shoulder, Natalia had a few scrapes, Mac was bleeding from a slice on his wing, Eric's shoulders were covered in bite marks, and Calliegh had a few scrapes and bruises.

"Please tell me this won't become an everyday thing." Ryan said, giving his injury a lick.

"Mac, thanks for the save. We would have lost if you hadn't showed up when you did. Are you a demon? How did you get here from New York?" Calliegh asked.

"I flew in from New York late last night, and I'm half demon." Mac explained, "I had this odd sense that something was wrong, and I was drawn to this spot. Do all of you change into animal forms?"

"Yes, Horatio is the winged wolf with a horn, Natalia is the alicorn, Frank is the horned lion, Calliegh is the silver angel, Ryan is the big teddy bear, I'm the white winged tiger, and Alexx is the phoenix." Eric said.

"I'm a grizzly bear, not a teddy bear!" Ryan snapped back.

"Right, which is a type of Giant Teddy bear." Eric joked.

"Eric! I swear! When I get my paws around your neck, you are a dead man!" Ryan screamed.

"Now you two, lets not fight among ourselves." Mac chuckled.

They all reverted back to themselves. All traces of any injuries sustained in the fight was gone.

"This was a set up. Horatio! Yelina can't protect him from demonic forces! She's not like us!" Frank cried, leading the way to the service hummers.

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Ray JR stepped off the city bus in front of the hospital, and walked in. This had been his routine for the last three and a half weeks. He rode up to the sixth floor, and walked down the hall toward room 35.

"Hi, Uncle H." Ray JR said, walking into the room, and dropping off his school bag on a chair. He noticed that his mother wasn't there at the moment, "Where's mom?"

"Yelina got called into work by Rick an hour ago." Horatio said in greeting, "you know the drill."

"I know. I love Algebra." Ray JR pulled out his school work, and got started on it, "So, how much longer until they decide you can go home?"

"Well, if I can make it to Friday without another setback, they will send me home Monday." Horatio said, "Yelina told me she is going to take me over to your place for a few months until I've recovered fully."

Ray JR finished writing out his answer to a question in his book, "Cool!"

He continued to work on his assignments, and finished them quickly. At that moment, the CSI's came running in.

"He's okay!" Frank called.

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Horatio asked.

"Where's Yelina?" Alexx asked.

"Rick called her in to work on a case, Why?" Horatio asked.

"Rick couldn't have called her in, H. I was fighting him in the battle earlier. I am one of you, now, and Mac is half demon." Eric said.

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"Dusk, Brillia, Lumin, Come to me!" Yelina called.

They came in a soft swirl of color, taking their places on the mark of the trinity.

"Yelina, you sound worried." Dusk said.

"What is it?" Brillia asked.

"What troubles you so?" Lumin put in.

"He is coming back, right?" Yelina asked.

"He is, yes, Life giver." Lumin said.

"Dusk, did you tell Mac when I sent you to save him?" Yelina asked.

"I didn't tell him much, except that he is a half blood. He is a Winged Vampremire, very rare." Dusk said, "I didn't tell him that he is the Destroyer."

"Two have surfaced, and we need one more, before the new trinity is complete, and I know who she is. She is Valera, and she is the Healer." Yelina said.

The old Trinity nodded.

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**Queen Sunstar: (walks into office, catching Rick and Mac by surprise) All right you two, what were you doing?**

**Rick: Not a thing, of course.**

**Queen Sunstar: I know you do naughty things, now, what did you do? (Kicks him off of computer chair) Hmm, you tried to make yourself the hero, I see. (Changes it around.)**

**Mac: Leave some Reviews, please! **


	9. Horatios Premonition

**Queen Sunstar: I know I haven't updated recently, but I have two reasons for it: 1) The Daycare where I work is on the summer schedule, which means my break is now from 3:00 to 5:00.) I just spent time stuck in a hospital due do a nasty bout Gastritis, a serious infection in the lining of the stomach. **

**Mac: Next time I tell you to not eat spicy foods, do it! I thought we were losing you! **

**Queen Sunstar: I was never dying, Mac. I was having digestive troubles. **

**Mac: But still! I thought my story would never get published!**

**Horatio: (Walking into Office in Wolf form) am I interrupting a lovers quarrel? (Curls up with bowl of popcorn) by the way, Queen Sunstar doesn't own CSI Miami. NBC does. She does own Ricks little brother, Shawn. Go read the next chapter, while I watch the lovers quarrel. **

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Valera studied a piece of DNA evidence under a microscope. It was from the claw Alexx had found in a scratch on one of the slasher victims. She noticed something strange about it right away. The DNA sample was a triple helix, and it had six different nucleotides. She recognized the G, T, A, U, and C nucleotides, and the last one was completely new. Valera decided to label it with an O for now. She ran it through CODIS, and was shocked when it brought up Rick. All Miami Law Enforcement and all Miami Crime Lab Techs were required to put their DNA into the system as ordained by a new law.

"So the Slasher is Rick. How do we get a claw with your DNA to stick on you?" She picked up the phone to call Frank, who answered on the first ring.

"Hello? I've got good news. Horatio gets to go home tomorrow." Frank said.

"That's good. Can you bring Rick Settler in for questioning?" Valera asked, "I've matched his DNA to the claw left behind by the Slasher."

"Rick Settler, as in the FBI agent, Rick Settler?" Frank asked.

"Yes, that Rick Settler." Valera said.

"I'll see what I can do." Frank said, hanging up. He turned to Horatio, who was sitting in a wheel chair, by the open window, "That was Valera. The claw belongs to Rick. Just how are we going to get that to stick?"

"Easy. The DNA was on the claw. The claw wasn't the DNA." Horatio said.

"Smart. I have to go make an arrest, of Rick Settler. You'll be okay by yourself?" Frank asked.

"I'll be fine. Ray JR is here." Horatio said, "Go make that arrest."

"With pleasure!" Frank left. Once in his service Hummer, he radioed dispatch to put out an alert on Rick Settler, and drove around Miami, searching for him. The sun was setting when he remembered the FBI Lab out on the island, and he turned the car toward the coast line. Ten minutes later, he drove onto the ancient covered bridge to reach the island.

The island, aptly named Sadistic Island, was a dark, unforgiving place. No one lived on the island, and no animals could thrive there. The only structure was a FBI ran Lab, and from what Frank had heard, it had been shut down very recently. The trees leaned over the single lonely road with low hanging branches that scrapped along the roof of the hummer, as it passed under them. Frank felt a chill run down his spine. It was getting darker at an alarming rate. He noticed that even the sun couldn't cut through the gloom. To make matters worse, it was getting foggy. Finally, the headlights of the hummer lit up the side of the Lab, and Frank stopped the car. He grabbed a flashlight, and climbed out of the car.

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"Frank has been gone a long time." Valera noticed, "I hope Rick is not giving him any trouble, now."

"I wouldn't worry. Frank can handle him. Remember the time Rick snapped, and went after Horatio? Frank was the one who stepped in front of Horatio, and about threw the guy through the window." Yelina said, chuckling at the memory.

They were inside Horatio's hospital room, visiting Horatio, who had fallen asleep, helping Ray JR with a tough math problem. Ray JR was laying next to him, asleep, too. Yelina hadn't the heart to wake them.

"I remember that." Valera said, "I laughed so hard I screwed up a DNA test."

"Rick's face as Frank tossed him was priceless." Yelina said, smiling at the memory.

Meanwhile, Horatio dreamed. He was prone to nightmares, but nothing prepared him for the one he was having now.

_Horatio padded forward softly. He was in winged wolf form, and his keen sense of smell told him his prey was nearby. He left the woods, and came across a Hummer parked in front of an old Lab building. Right away, the metallic smell of blood assaulted his nose. The front of the Hummer was covered in blood. Being careful not to harm the evidence, Horatio skirted the crime scene cautiously. His nose led him to the open lab door. His paws stepped into something wet and sticky. Another sniff told him it was more blood. He heard a soft groan, and looked up to see Frank, nailed to the ceiling. The shock caused him to yelp in surprise. _

_"Horatio, you've come at last." Rick, in his own winged wolf form, melted out of the shadows._

_"Rick! What have you done?" Horatio asked, struggling to keep emotion out of his voice. He would not lose it here, not now._

_"Horatio, I've come to you with a business proposition. I will trade Frank, for you." Rick said._

_"No… go… save yourself… Horatio…" Frank groaned from overhead._

_"No can do, old friend. I will accept the trade, Rick, under one condition. You will let me get him out of here, and once I make sure he is okay, I'll return to you." Horatio said._

_"Deal, but I will follow you." Rick said, flicking his horn, causing Frank to come crashing down from the ceiling…_

Horatio felt himself jerk awake, and felt a stab of pain in his still healing incisions on his chest. Yelina looked up worriedly as she heard him wake up, and heard the soft grunt of pain he had made as he moved. She got up, and went to him.

"Easy, there, Horatio. You are still healing. That was some dream you were having. Fighting Rick in wolf form?" She asked.

"Fighting Rick in wolf form?" Horatio questioned, not sure if he heard her right.

"I was given clearance by the Trinity to let you know this. I know of the demon world. I am going to be a part of the new Trinity. It is time for the older members to go on to their eternal rest. This is not their war anymore. I am the live giver, and I will take Lumen's place. Mac has already met Dusk, and will soon learn of his heritage. Young Jodye will give up her ability for a normal life, and Valera will become the new Healer. You rest. Lumin has explained what will be happening to me already. Now, your dream?" Yelina asked.

"How long have you known? Does Ray JR know?" Horatio asked.

"Ray JR doesn't know, and I plan to keep it that way. He doesn't need to know about any of this. I found out during the earthquake, when I thought I was dying. Lumin came, and told me to get in touch with my abilities, and I did. Horatio, I have discovered something else about me. Remember back when I told you my father left when I was little? Lumin is my father, and he never left. He couldn't stay and help raise me like he wanted to do. He is an angel, which makes me half angel." Yelina said, "I also discovered these." She glowed briefly, revealing a pair of soft white angel wings. She hid them seconds later, "Tell me about the dream."

Horatio found himself telling her everything. He told her of discovering his ability after Marisol died, and of the demonic world which he had just become apart of. He told her of the one thing he had not told a single soul, about Marisol's death. She had been killed by demonic forces, and he had been forced to make it look like she had died by another cause. He finished by telling her about the dream.

"That was your first premonition, Horatio. You have the power of premonition. You can see the future, and your premonitions will help you in the upcoming war against the darkness. Miami is about to become a battlefield, and it is up to you to protect it." Yelina said.

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Valera left the hospital to return to the lab. The day was ending, and as night descended, so did the temperature. The air still felt warm. Valera felt her gaze land on the distant Sadistic Island, as she climbed out of her car upon reaching the lab. She took no notice of the fog rolling in, as it was common this time of the year to see some fog in the evening. She entered the Lab, and went to her DNA station to check on her DNA samples cooking inside a centrifuge. A DNA printer belched, spitting out a paper with results of a test for a DNA tech, who left to run it to the night shift supervisor. Eric walked by, his face buried in a case file. He wasn't paying any attention as to where he was going, and someone had tossed a banana peel toward a trash can, and missed. Valera saw what was going to happen in her minds eye. Eric's left foot came down on the banana peel, and like in the cartoons, his case file went flying, spraying papers everywhere. Eric crashed to the floor, and the file landed on his face.

"Eric," Valera asked, laughing her head off at him, "Are you okay?"

Eric reached up, and moved the case file off of his face, "If you define okay, as in massive agony, then yea, I'm okay." He reached down and gathered his papers. Somebody pointed at where the banana peel landed, and more laughter rang out through the lab. Valera helped Eric up, and saw the banana peel plastered to Horatio's office door. Eric couldn't help but start laughing while Valera went and removed the banana peel. She carefully disposed of the peel in the trash can, where it had failed to reach before. Suddenly, someone screamed, pointing out a window at the fog. It was darker, now, and Valera could sense something strong and dark about the fog. Red lightening crackled along its surface. A thick, dark rain began to fall.

"I have to go out there." Eric said, serious, now, "That is demonic."

"Be careful." Valera called, watching Eric leave. Seconds later, a lab tech pointed out a glowing white winged tiger disappearing into the darkness.

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Frank flicked on the flashlight, and splayed the light around the Lab. It was one story, unlike the CSI Crime Lab back in Miami, and it was one big room, lined with dusty old lockers. Several long tables served as the labs.

_Brrrrr brrrrr brrrrr_

Something wired to life behind him. Frank spun around, heart pounding, only to see an old DNA printer printing something. He crept closer for a better look, and was shocked by what he saw.

"Get out now, before It gets you, too?" Frank read, "What could this mean? They told us the FBI had shut this lab down for safety reasons!" The printer wired again.

"I am a scientist hired by the FBI. I beg you to leave now, please! I know I'm a spirit now, but I can never rest until It is stopped." The printer printed.

"Who is it?" Frank asked, feeling stupid standing there, talking to the printer.

"You won't believe me." The printer buzzed.

"Try me." Frank said, "I've seen some pretty strange things."

"Are you sure?" The printer printed.

"I don't even know your name. Yes, I'm sure." Frank said.

"My name is Shawn Settler. I am a Federal Bureau of Investigation Organism Specialist, AKA FBIOS. I lived and worked here in this Lab. Our troubles started on the day we received the creature. It looked like a black wolf with leathery wings, silver and black horn and red eyes. We thought we had it contained, but it got out, and massacred us all. Our weaponry was ineffective against it." Shawn communicated.

"Rick. It was Rick Settler that you encountered." Frank said.

"My brother killed me?" Shawn asked.

"Yes. It's my turn to trust you. I am one of the seven chosen to defend Miami. Only Horatio, my partner, can hope to defeat him. I become Leo, the horned lion." Frank said, choosing to give out as few details as he could.

"Leo… It all makes sense, now." Before Shawn could continue, the wall behind Frank splintered open. Rick, in wolf form, stepped through it, teeth bared.

"Good job, Shawnee. You kept Frank here. I'll leave Foggma to finish off Flare." Rick snarled.

"You are wrong, brother. I told him what you did to me, and to the others. I'm ashamed to call you my brother!" Shawn printed furiously.

"I'm more then strong enough to hold you off, Rick." Frank said, going Leo. Lion and winged wolf faced off.

"You would fight me while Foggma grounds up Flare?" Rick asked, incredulously.

"He can take care of himself." Frank said, lunging at Rick, and digging his claws into his flanks. Rick ducked, sliding under Frank, and burying his teeth into Franks left hind leg. Frank twisted himself so his horn was angled at Rick's heart, and as he rammed his head downward, Rick vanished, appearing, flying, over Frank. Franks horn hit hard ground instead. Rick shot down and ripped open Franks shoulders. Injured, and bleeding, Frank tried to swipe at Rick. In the end, Frank reverted back to himself, too exhausted and hurt to move. Like before, all traces of his injuries faded, but he could still feel the pain. Rick advanced toward him, despite Shawn's protesting printing, and mercifully, consciousness left Frank before he could find out what Rick was about to do.

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Eric dove through the fog, trying to find something physical that he could attack. It was cold, and the fog pressed tightly around him. He swiped at tendrils of fog as they rolled past his vision, and heard an otherworldly scream of rage and pain.

_**I should kill you now, Flare, but Cronamus wants you alive! **_Foggma snarled, its voice a soft, harsh hiss.

"Sorry, I don't intend to see Cronamus any time soon!" Eric swiped at the fog.

_**I will knock you out now! **_Foggma roared.

Eric had the sensation of something cold rushing by his body. Then he was spinning under Foggma, and falling toward the ocean, which to his shock was thousands of feet below him. Suddenly, Foggma wrapped around him again, and as Eric screamed, flowed into his body. Seconds later, Eric landed in front of the Crime Lab, and reverted back to himself. Foggma had taken control of his body. All he could do was watch in horror as Foggma prepared to destroy his life.

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Mac, in full Demon form, perched on the edge of a building, lost in thought. He wondered for the umpteenth time, how his team would react to the news of the fact he was half demon. Sheldon, Danny, Montana, Don, and Tom would think he was crazy, and Stella might understand. So would Peyton. Mac continued to think of his own CSI team, knowing that he would soon have to return to them. He decided to wait until he was sure that Horatio was well on the road of recovery, first, before he would return home to New York City. Silently, he pushed himself off the building, wings open, to catch some air. Flying was becoming one of his favorite pastimes. Suddenly, he sensed someone in trouble, for some reason, Peyton came up in his mind.

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**Queen Sunstar: Would you calm down, Mac? Your story will get published sometime in the fall, when I have more time to work. **

**Mac: But still!**

**Queen Sunstar: By the way, My next update may not be until September. I am going to ride up to my grandparents cabin on the upper slopes of MT Pilchuck, Washington, in August. Where they live, it is not easily accessible by car, so I have to spend 12 hours on horseback to get there. They have no electricity, so everything is done like they did in the 1800s. (Hears the sound of crunching popcorn) I didn't know wolves ate popcorn!**

**Horatio: Wolves don't, but I do!**

**Mac: hey wait a minute! How long have you been there?**

**Horatio: I heard everything, and I recorded everything on my tape recorder! Wait until Peyton hears it!**

**Mac: You wouldn't dare! That conversation is private between me, and our author!**

**Horatio: (With a sly grin) and I heard everything! **

**Mac: gimme that popcorn bowl!**

**Queen Sunstar: I'll deal with them, you leave me some reviews in the meantime.**


	10. Darkness Descends

**Queen Sunstar: Peace and quiet at last. (a mumble, Mac is taped up to the wall.) Well, you wouldn't stop!**

**(Rick walks in, sees Mac)**

**Rick: You ticked her off, didn't you, Mac.**

**Mac: Murfmerfmurf!**

**Rick: Well, what did you expect her to do with the duct tape Horatio so cleverly found? Dance with it?**

**Mac: Merf!**

**Rick: You did it, not me. **

**(Horatio, still in wolf form, looks up from the pet bed he is curled up on)**

**Horatio: Mac wouldn't stop, so he gets to spend time taped to the wall. By the way, NBC owns us, except the tape used on Mac, the hand drawn mustache in black permanent marker on Ricks face, our animal forms, Lumin, Dusk, Brisa, and the story line below.**

**Rick: What? (Runs over to the mirror) Ryan! When I get my hands on you, you are dead meat!**

**(Ryan is heard laughing from the hallway.)**

**Horatio: Here, try a Mr. Clean Dry Eraser!**

**(Rick frantically scrubs his face with the eraser)**

**Queen Sunstar: On to chapter.**

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Freedom. Horatio, in wolf form trotted through the woods. The cool wind ruffled his fur. He could hear the sounds of forest animals scuffling in the leaves. He felt free after being confined to the house for three days. He trotted toward an old, half-eaten, half-rotten footbridge, and walked over it carefully. He knew where he was going. Soon, the lab rose in front of him. He walked inside, and several demons lunged at him. He lit his horn, keeping them back. One of them, a large winged panther, hissed warningly, and lunged at him. Horatio ducked, and brought up his horn, impaling the demon. It shrieked as it withered, and died.

"Anyone else?" Horatio asked.

"Yes, me." Rick, in his own wolf form, walked up to him.

"I know what you did to my fellow lieutenant, Rick. I will fight you if I must to save him." Horatio drew back his lips into a snarl.

"I will make a trade, Horatio. You for Frank." Rick hissed.

"Let me see my Lieutenant, and give him the medical attention he needs, first, and then, I'll return to you, Rick. You have my word." Horatio responded, his tone cold.

"You have one hour." Rick lit his horn, and frank crashed to the floor from the ceiling. A quick sniff told Horatio he was still alive. He went human, and carried Frank outside, away from the old building, into the woods. He went far enough that Frank would get a good getaway. After setting him down, he went wolf, and laid his horn on him.

Inside, Rick nodded to a demon. The demon was dog like, with red eyes and coal black fur. The dog demon looked expectantly at Rick, awaiting his command.

"Follow Caine, Dogma, and make sure he stays true to his word." Rick ordered, watching as the dog slipped out the door.

Horatio glowed softly. Franks injuries healed themselves. Horatio sat down, tongue out, panting from his effort. He watched as Frank stirred, and came around.

"Sorry, H, but Rick got the best of me. Thanks for the save." Frank sat up.

"You are welcome. Head back to the lab, and let everyone know you still exist. I'll deal with Rick." Horatio said, rising to all fours, and nearly staggering as he walked away.

"But-" Frank sighed, "Be careful, H. Rick ain't no pushover."

Seconds later, a horned lion cantered across the same bridge Horatio used earlier. Frank made up his mind. He would return to the lab and get help. There was no way Horatio would be able to handle Rick on his own.

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_Get out of my body, Fogma!_

**No, Delko. You are mine, now.**

_I am not yours! You may control my body, but you will never control my will! Calliegh will know instantly that something is wrong with me!_

**Ah, yes. The lovely Huntress. Such a lovely body. Even she cannot save you now.**

_Calliegh knows me better then I know myself! She will find away to set me free!_

**You wish.**

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A couple Technicians had cheered as the fog dispersed several days ago. Now, Calliegh found herself working with Valera on a DNA test. She watched as Eric walked by, a blood-splattered jacket in his hands. He had solved the bank robbery case, and was helping the nightshift ease its massive caseload by working a couple murder cases for them. Calliegh had noticed that Eric seemed colder, more hostile, since his fight with Fogma. When he told her about the fight later that night, he had seemed arrogant.

"Cal, pass me another beaker, please?" Valera asked, following her gaze, "You and Eric fighting again?"

"No. Something about Eric feels off. He seems different, now." Calliegh said, handing over a beaker to Valera.

"We came very close to losing Horatio. Eric is probably feeling the hurt and stress of what happened with Horatio. Give him time. He'll get over it." Valera said.

"You are probably right." Calliegh said, even though her gut was telling her otherwise. At that moment, Frank arrived in lion form.

"Ricks got Horatio!" He cried, "He traded himself for me!"

"Then let's go." Calliegh said, "I'll get Natalia, and Eric. You get Alexx, and we will go get Ryan in the garage, and leave from there." Calliegh said.

Frank nodded, and took off for the morgue. He ran in just as Alexx burst into flames. He watched that, as minutes later, the flames vanished. He still could not get used to seeing the ME do that.

"Alexx, Horatio is in trouble!" He quickly filled her in.

"I'm right behind you." Alexx followed Frank.

They met up with Calliegh, Natalia, and Eric in the hallway. They ran into the garage.

"Guys, is this normal?" Ryan picked up the truck he was processing.

"Ryan! Put that truck down!" Natalia gasped.

"That so ain't normal, dude!" Eric said, "Where'd you learn that?"

The others stared at Eric blankly. He never called Ryan dude, before.

"Ryan, we need you, too. Horatio is in trouble, and we all are going to go save him. Eric, what possessed you?" Calliegh asked.

"Nobody." Eric said.

"I'm with you. I woke up this morning, and I can lift tons." Ryan said, "Could this be apart of Bree I'm experiencing?"

"Could be." Eric said, "Let's move!"

The garage door opened, revealing Mac.

"Eric goes nowhere." He said, "Except into the sky with me. That is Fogma, a high-level demon, not Eric. Fogma is possessing Eric, and I'm the only one besides Horatio that can eject spirit demons."

"Really?" Eric's voice went deep, and his eyes burned red. The others backed away from him. Mac walked forward, going demonic as he went. He hissed warningly, revealing his fangs.

"Fogma, we meet again. Was murdering Adien Burns enough for you? We have unfinished business to attend to!" With that, Mac wrapped a clawed hand around Eric's neck, and shot up into the sky with powerful thrusts of his wings.

"Guys, lets go." Alexx whispered, "Let Mac handle Eric."

Wordlessly, the others followed her as Frank led them toward Sadistic Island. Up in the sky, Eric went white tiger, with demon wings and red eyes. He gave Mac no time to let him go before he attacked with a swipe of his paw. Mac tumbled backward a few feet. He narrowed his eyes, and locked eyes with the tiger.

"Look into my eyes, Fogma. Feel the burning damnation you have cast upon yourself. Feel the darkness, the hate, and the anger of the souls you've taken, Fogma." Mac's eyes glowed white. Fogma screamed.

"Feel this!" Fogma roared, swiping at Mac's face. Mac blocked the hits.

"Daro uozers unite! Eurge Ericus soulv and set Eric ree!" Mac called, using the demonic language. He watched with smug satisfaction as Fogma was expelled from Eric's body.

"Finally! I was beginning to think no one cared!" Eric said, "Thanks, Mac."

"You are welcome. Horatio is in trouble, so lets go." Mac said.

Tiger and Demon flew side by side over to Sadistic Island.

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Dogma walked just behind the winged wolf. He watched as the wolf staggered, nearly falling. Cain looked like something Catalina might drag in. Shade had not told him much, other then the fact Cain was very important for reviving the Ancient Master. Cronamus had come back. The Demons had celebrated the return of the Ancient Masters first general, and right hand man. Then Shade returned, casting out any remaining doubts about the return of the Ancient Master. Cain stumbled over a tree root, and went down. Dogma sighed, and sat down to wait while the wolf stood slowly, and laid down.

'_He is weak. Is he still strong enough to undo the seal locking the Ancient Master within the Dark Realm?_' Dogma thought, watching as Cain rested.

"Sorry about that. I'm not like I used to be." Cain rose unsteadily. Dogma considered offering to carry him.

"Its okay. Lets move." Dogma responded.

"You aren't like the other demons, Dogma." Cain said, falling in step next to Dogma.

"That's because I've seen the Human world, Cain. I've learned compassion, and love. I'd rather be a human pet then a demon. I'm one of the very few demons that believe humans and demons can get along. Careful, there. My life started long ago. I was born third in a litter of five. My parents told us pups stories about the Ancient Master, and trained us to fight in His army. On the day my litter was to join the army camps, I wound up left behind on accident. Humans trampled our nest. I was taken in by a man named Speedle, and raised into adulthood. I loved that man. I learned an all new world from him. Then one day, he didn't come home, and I knew. I cried for days after that. I left home, and was found by my brother, who took me into the army camp. I trained, and vowed to escape first chance I got. My chance hasn't come, yet." Dogma said, "Speedle called me Guy."

"I knew Speedle, Dogma. I was his boss, Horatio, in my human form." Cain said, "I'll help you escape. I don't plan on sticking around much longer."

They arrived back at the old lab, and went inside. Shade was waiting for them. He flicked his horn, and a rope hanging from the ceiling snaked itself around Cain's body. He was lifted off the ground, and suspended over a pentagram on the floor. Dogma went and took his place by Catalina. He didn't want to watch, but something made him look. Shade prowled by him.

"Greetings, fellow demons and demonesses. I am Shade. The age of demons is almost upon us. We are gathered here today to witness the first step of His reawakening. Soon, He will walk this earth, and reclaim it from the Humans. This time, we have the advantage. The Humans do not have their Avenger fighting for them. They will be putty in His hands! Without further ado, lets begin!" Shade paused under Cain, "Any last words, Mortal?"

"Yes. You forgot that the other Mortals might come to try to save their Leader." Cain said.

Shade spun toward the door, and snickered.

"Do I look stupid to you? They can't get in, because my force field won't allow it." Shade cackled.

"You are insane." Cain said.

"Enough of this mindless chatter, imbecile. Its time to begin reawakening the Ancient Master." with a flick of his horn, Shade ripped open Cain's neck. Silvery red blood spattered onto the pentagon.

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"Oh my god, we are too late!" Calliegh pounded on the force field in frustration. Earlier, she wanted to nuke it, but Alexx had talked her out of it. Natalia lit her horn in a desperate attempt to nullify it, and failed.

"This can't be happening! Rick, wait until I lay my hands on your neck!" Frank screamed.

"Frank, yelling at the wall won't help anything!" Alexx shot back, "There has got to be a way to get past this thing! Think, everybody!"

"If I think anymore, Alexx, I'm going to think myself to death!" Ryan complained, banging a massive paw on the force field. Suddenly, he brightened, "Hey Natalia! Have you tried generating a cross field to break up this one?"

"I tried that a second ago with Franks help!" Natalia snapped, "Augh! I can't believe Rick is killing Horatio, and we are stuck by a stupid force field, unable to do a thing to stop it!"

"We know, Nat. Can't I just nuke it?" Calliegh tried.

"For the last time, no! do you want to wipe out all of Miami?" Alexx asked.

"What about a stick of dynamite? A drop of nitroceride? Black powder?" Calliegh tried.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BLOW UP THE FORCE FIELD! DO YOU WANT TO KILL US ALL?" Alexx screeched, her feathers fluffed up.

"I GOT TO GET IN THERE TO SAVE MY MAN!" Calliegh shot back.

"WELL, SO DO I!" Alexx screamed.

"LADIES! STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU! SHUT UP!" Ryan screamed.

Both women stopped, and turned to face him.

"You stay out of this, teddy bear!" Alexx was deadly calm.

"I'm not a teddy bear! I'm a powerful grizzly bear!" Ryan squealed, clawing at the force field.

Mac and Eric arrived.

"Everybody, calm down. Think happy thoughts. Hmm, a simple force field stopped you?" Mac rested both hands on the force field, and walked through it, "This is an anti good power grid. Be right back." Mac walked up to Rick in wolf form, and knocked him out. The field fizzled. The Mortals burst in onto the demons. Frank ripped into a she cat demon, while Alexx sprayed fire down on several demons, scattering them. Calliegh and Eric got to Horatio.

"The ropes are too tight!" Eric cried, clawing at them with his claws.

"I can call any kind of weapon… scissors! It works!" Calliegh cut the ropes binding Horatio. He fell gracelessly to the now glowing pentagram. Alexx shot over to them.

"Daro Uozer nlast!" Mac vanquished seven demons at once. The other demons started to flee. Frank and Ryan chased after several stragglers.

"This can't be! Horatio, I know you can hear me! You have got to wake up! I know you are hurt badly, but we need some sign of life from you!" Calliegh cried, tears streaming down her face. She buried her face in Eric's fur to hide her tears.

"Come on, H! They need you! Alexx, think your tears will help?" Mac asked.

"Of course!" Alexx responded. She hovered over Horatio's injured neck, and shed several tears on the injury. It began to close itself. Horatio opened his eyes several minutes later. He was still in wolf form.

"Finally. I almost saw Speedle again." He sat up, "Calliegh, you can stop crying, now. I need to start training you guys soon." He rose to his feet, "Here's why."

The pentagram became outlined in red light. Slowly, it began to open up like a five sided box. Something black and sinister rose from the opening. Rick walked up to it with Cronamus next to him. Outside, darkness descended onto the land. The black shadow split into three separate beings, and took form. The first one looked like a shadow with red eyes, the second one took the form of a lizard like skeleton with wings made of bone. The third being took the form of what appeared to be a human with the head of a cat, the wings of an eagle, and the spiked tail of a scorpion. Rick and Cronamus bowed.

"Welcome, Ancient Masters Spectore, Skeletome, and Malica. Welcome back." Cronamus whispered.

"Rise, Cronamus, and Shade." Spectore wavered.

"Its good to be back." Skeletome spoke in a deep bass voice.

"Finally. Its good to be above ground." Malica spoke with a feminine tone.

"There is good news, Masters. The Avenger does not walk the earth any longer. Its all yours for the taking." Cronamus said.

"That is good, Cronamus." Spectore said.

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"We are in big trouble, now, right?" Ryan asked.

Mac only nodded.

The CSI's were back in their human forms, inside Horatios office. They were talking about what had happened, and of Horatio's odd behavior. Horatio had his desk chair, Alexx and Ryan had the two chairs in front of the desk, Mac leaned against the door, while Calliegh, Eric, Frank, and Natalia shared the couch. Horatio and Mac had both promised to tell them the whole story.

"Big trouble doesn't begin to penetrate this, Ryan." Horatio said, "We are now in a desperate race against time."

"You know what, H? I'll begin." Mac said, "This war started thousands of years ago, during the Roman Empire. Those same three dark gods and goddess threatened the peaceful roman world. A nun and two monks rose to stop them. They used up most of their power trapping the dark gods and goddess within a powerful seal. That seal was to remain locked for one millennium. A Demigod named Cronamus saw his chance for great power, and gathered the remaining demon forces for another attack. He was able to kill the two monks, but the nun had seen this coming. She had drained her comrades of their powers. She escaped at their order. Years went by. Cronamus crowned himself Emperor of the Roman Empire, and used the armies to strike fear into the empire. The nun was injured badly in one of these attacks. As she lay dying, she called forward seven humans. To the men, she split the powers of the two monks, and gave them the powers. To the women, she split her own powers and gave it to them. She told them to find a way to defeat Cronamus. They did, at the cost of the life of their leader."

"This is going to be hard for some of you to hear. Marisol did not die from a gunshot wound. She died of her injuries brought on by a demon attack because of what she knew. She tried to tell me as she was dying. During my time being dead back at the hospital, I saw her and Speedle again. She told me that Leo and Cain, me and Frank, can merge our animal forms, and so can Orina and Lexa, Calliegh and Alexx. The current Trinity members are Lumin, Dusk, and Brisa." Horatio continued.

At that moment, the floor darkened, and the Trinity rose up out of the shadows. Lumin wore his blue cloak, hood up over his head. Dusk wore a red cloak, with his hood drawn up over his head, and Brisa, wearing orange, had her hood down. Ryan recognized her as Jodye, the girl he saved.

"There is no time." Lumin spoke first.

"That was Lumin, Dusk is in the red, and you all know me as Jodye, and I did say I was Brisa, once. What Lumin means is, We are running out of time. This is not our fight, anymore. We came here because we sensed the new Trinity gathering together. Here comes the final two members." Brisa said, nodding toward the door. It opened, revealing Yelina, and Valera.

"Good, they are here." Dusk said.

"Mac, Yelina, and Valera are the destroyer, the life giver, and the healer. Mac can destroy most Demons, and if he were to say… touch Frank in lion form, Frank would gain a power boost. He can do this with anyone of you. Yelina can bring back the dead. She can only bring back those dead of wrongful deaths. Those dying peacefully, or by choice, she can not bring back. Valera can heal. She can not heal if the injury is life threatening, but she can take away the pain." Lumin explained, "Yelina, put your hand on top of mine. Dusk, you are next. Mac, good, Brisa, good, Valera, good. Ancient Trinity fading, new Trinity here. Blessed be." the office was filled with glorious light. Once it faded, only Mac, Yelina, and Valera were still standing in the circle, with a hand on top of the other. They let go.

"the three demons you saw earlier were Spectore, a living shadow. He is a spirit demon. Skeletome, a bone demon, and Mortalia, a physical demon. Demons come in two types. They are Spiritual, and Physical. Spiritual demons are ghost like, and can possess you. Foggma, the fog demon that possessed Eric, and Spectore are two examples of spiritual demons. Skeletome, and Mortalia are physical demons because they have physical forms." Horatio was interrupted by screams from the floor below. The CSI's and ME ran down to the main floor. They looked outside, and it was all Horatio could do to keep from screaming in horror.

Outside, darkness descended over Miami. Lights came on, even though it was only two in the afternoon. Manholes slid back. Demon after demon crawled out into the premature night. Mac's cell phone rang, and seconds later, so did Horatio's phone, and Ryan's phone.

"New York is under the same blanket of darkness." Mac said.

"That was Grissom. Las Vegas is dark, too." Horatio said, barely hiding his fear.

"My call was from Jodye. She said Washington is dark, too. I think it is dark, everywhere." Ryan said, "Jodye still remembers being Brisa. She was teleported home once her job was done here."

A window shattered. Then another window shattered. A Lab Tech screamed.

"They're getting in!" Eric screamed.

"Fan out, and go animal!" Horatio ordered, already in wolf form. He ran down the hallway with Frank in lion form, and Ryan in bear form behind him.

"With pleasure!" Mac went fully demonic. His fangs, claws, and wings appeared, and tuffs of black fur ringed his hands. His eyes turned red, and his ears slid up his head and altered themselves to that of a bat. He raced after Horatio. Calliegh, Natalia, Alex, and Eric raced after them minutes later, while Yelina and Valera stayed behind. Yelina called after Mac, but he didn't hear her.

Horatio was already locked in battle with what looked to be a male black winged panther. Frank and Ryan tag team attacked a group of fox demons. Alexx and Mac worked together to defeat a winged black leopard. Calliegh found herself surrounded by dark angels in black armor. She did her best against them until Mac and Eric joined her. Natalia used her horn like a sword, and fought a dark version of herself.

Horatio faked a left, and swiped an already bloodstained paw across the demons face. He left a trail of blood in his wake. Horatio ducked, going under the cat. He thrust his horn upward, expecting to hear a scream of pain. Instead, it was him who screamed in pain as the demon flipped over him, leaving a series of bloody slashes in his back. The two bloodied combatants faced each other, panting. The demon lunged, Horatio dropped. The demon cat sailed over him, and seconds later, the wolf followed.

Frank shot over a fox demon, and dispatched it quickly with a blow to the neck. He spun, and brought down a demonically altered human, its features twisted out of proportion, and its body enlarged. The former human rose, growling. It struck a blow to Franks shoulder. The lion staggered, but remained standing. With an angry hiss, Frank lunged for the demon's neck.

Ryan found himself backed into a corner. It was all he could do to block the rain of blows from the demons cornering him. He heard a howl of rage, and looked up to see a silver blur shoot down through the demons. It was Horatio. Together, wolf and bear drove the demons into the waiting paws of Eric and Frank.

"STOP!" the fighting stopped.

A black wolf walked into the room.

"My minions, back! Clear out! This is Cronamuses fight with Cain!" Rick ordered.

Left and right, the demons retreated. The CSI's gathered together. Cronamus entered the room. He glared at the CSI's.

"Cain, step forward!" He ordered.

Horatio came forward, going human as he walked.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice cold.

"I have been ordered to exterminate you, and I will. Meet me on the Night of the Blood Moon, at the bluffs. Prepare for your doom! Shade, lets go! We have planning to do!" Cronamus sneered, "If you don't show up, this pretty little angel dies!" With that, Cronamus grabbed Calliegh. Eric squealed, Frank hanging on to his tail. Cronamus left with Calliegh, and Rick.

"Let me at him! He's got my Calliegh!" Eric screamed.

"No, Eric. I will go face him, like he wants me to. Mac, you are half demon. Do you by per chance know what Cronamus met by Night of the Blood Moon?" Horatio asked.

"I haven't been a half-blood long, but I think it has something to do with the moon. Yelina may know." Mac said, as he reverted back to his human self. The others reverted back to normal, too. They left the now destroyed layout room, and returned to the main hall of the Lab, where Yelina and Valera were.

"Mac! What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed! You are a member of the Trinity now! We do not do battle with demons!" Yelina exploded.

Mac flinched like he had been slapped, "They would have been overwhelmed if I had not followed, Yelina. What is so important that you need to protect me?"

"Our duty is to train together to fight the Dark Trinity, and prevent the vanquishing of the light, you imbecile! If you had died tonight, the war would be lost! Next time, you stay with us, understand?" Yelina asked, eyes flashing.

"Yelina?" Ryan asked.

"What?" Yelina whipped around to face him, eyes still flashing. Ryan yelped, and dove behind Alexx. Horatio wrapped his arms around Yelina, hugging her. She settled down in his arms.

"Yelina, do you know of the Night of the Blood Moon?" Horatio asked.

"The lunar eclipse? that's two nights from now. Why?" Yelina asked.

"Cronamus asked me to battle, and I accepted. No one is to follow me. I'm going to end this, and save Calliegh." Horatio said, "It is late, and what ever you do, do not let out one word of Callieghs abduction out. All of us need rest. Lets head home, and meet back here tomorrow to work on the slasher case, everybody understand?"

Left and right, heads nodded. Eric looked like he might cry at any second. Frank's eyes were hard, a sign that the lieutenant was suppressing his inner turmoil. Ryan and Natalia held each others hands with out realizing it. Alexx and Valera looked away. Mac looked down. Yelina did her best to look angry.

"Good." Horatio turned, and walked back toward his office.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Queen Sunstar: and this ends another chapter. I have decided to make this into a trilogy. This is almost the end of part one. I have one more chapter to do, and then comes the epilogue. Part two will be called New Hero Rising. The final part is currently under a working title, The Radiance Battles. I will try to update every two weeks if I can.**

**(Rick looks up, his face red from his frantic scrubbing.)**

**Rick: You are making the story into a Trilogy? I call Hero in next part!**

**Horatio: That would be my part, Rick!**

**Rick: It's no fair! Why do I always get pegged as the villain?**

**Horatio: You're good at being the bad guy, Rick.**

**Queen Sunstar: Rick, your chance to be good is coming. You know who is going to you know what in the next chapter.**

**Rick: You mean you're gonna- (Gets a hand slapped over his mouth, courtesy of Horatio)**

**Horatio: Rick! don't blab the secret out to the readers now!**

**Rick: Sorry. We love reviews! Leave us some and the chapter might get out sooner!**


	11. The Hero Falls

**Queen Sunstar: Sorry about the long wait!**

**Rick: She don't own us, NBC does. She owns Cronamus, and the storyline below. Queenie! You are finally updating the story? Yay! (Goes off to read it)**

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"Uh! He got Calliegh! How could we let that happen?" Eric screamed in anger, punching the wall.

"Eric, calm down! Please! Calliegh will be fine!" Natalia begged, but Eric was having none of it.

"We don't know that! Cronamus could abuse her, or worse kill her!" Eric protested.

"Eric, you will calm yourself this instant. Tomorrow night, Horatio will go save her. She is a survivor, and she will survive. This war is going to end tomorrow night, and all of us will be there to celebrate. You need to calm down. Calliegh is more then a match for Cronamus." Alexx soothed gently. Eric calmed down. Horatio chose that moment to call them together.

"As you know, tomorrow night, I will go fight Cronamus. I am dong this alone. One life endangered is one life too many. I do not want to be followed. Eric, that goes for you, too. Am I clear?" Horatio asked.

"Crystal clear, H." Eric forced.

The others nodded.

"Good." Horatio left, going for his office. He thought of his upcoming battle, and began to think strategy.

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"Orina, you're still just as lovely as you were centuries ago." Cronamus hissed, stroking Callieghs hair. Calliegh growled.

"Let me go, Cronamus!" She spat.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I am afraid I cannot do that, Mon Angeline." Cronamus purred.

"You make me sick! Horatio will come, and knock you flat! He will save me!" Calliegh screamed.

"You wish, Orina. I cannot be stopped by Cain. He will not fight me because it will be you in danger." Cronamus hissed, "You have a little present for me."

With that, his hand changed. His nails turned into talons, and his hand became a shadow. He plunged it into Callieghs chest, eliciting a scream from her. When he withdrew his hand, he had her emerald. The hand went back to normal, and Calliegh stared in horror at her own crystal.

"One down, six to go." Cronamus sneered.

"What do you plan to do with the crystals?" Calliegh asked.

"You will be dead soon, so I'll tell you anyway. My aim is to collect the seven crystals, and merge them into myself. I'll be the most powerful Demigod around, and then, I'll name myself God. You puny humans will worship me, and so will the demons! I'll enslave you humans, and bring about the end of the light!" Cronamus laughed evilly.

"You mean, Horatio will send you packing, thus saving the light." Calliegh snapped, "You will never win."

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Speedle and Marisol were joined by Adien Burns, a fellow CSI from New York. Like Speedle and Marisol, she was dead. The Archangel and both angels sat at a kitchen table, inside Speeds mansion. They lived together.

"The Lord says we are not to get involved in this war." Speedle said, sipping a cup of coffee. He looked haggard.

"Earth is nothing without its Avenger. I doubt its seven champions can save it." Marisol worried.

"Mac will fight to the death to save it, as will Horatio." Adien said, pouring herself another cup of coffee, "The Lord is running us through the cloud, literally. I haven't slept in days."

"Nether have we, and whose turn is it to fly to the store?" Speed asked, "We are nearly out of coffee."

"Its your turn, Speed." Marisol said, "I went last time." Her pager buzzed, "And my boss is calling." She stood, opened her soft white wings, and took off. Her wings were normal sized, compared to Adeins, who had the smaller wings of a message runner, while Speed sported the large wings of a top Archangel.

"And I thought Heaven was paradise." Adien said.

"It is paradise, when we are not sitting ringside to a war between the humans and the demons." Speedle said, looked out his window at the Earth as it slowly revolved by.

"Doesn't Earth always show its day side to us?" Adien asked.

"Yeah. That is funny. It is all dark. The sun still shines on it, but it doesn't go day." Speedle said as his own pager buzzed, "The Lord is calling, got to fly."

Speedle took off, leaving Adien alone. She stood, and put the dishes into the dish washer. Her own pager buzzed, and seconds later, she was gone.

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The day passed quickly for Horatio, who had a doctors appointment that morning. He was healing nicely from his ordeal at the hospital. The darkness still blanketed the lands. It was hard to tell when day ended and night began. People were still being murdered, so the CSI's still had their jobs. Mac had gone back to New York to help deal with the chaos there. The absence of light was having a negative effect on people. The White House had issued a curfew at night. Horatio headed for the front door. He paused, listening to the sounds of the lab. He had chosen not to say good bye to anyone. Silently, he went wolf, and took off.

Behind him, a white winged tiger followed. Eric stayed far enough back to not attract the attention of Horatio. He was thankful that the wind was blowing at him, not toward Horatio. He knew this was wrong, but he had to go help save Calliegh. He thought of her perfume, her loving gazes as she watched him suit up for a dive, running on the beach together… He missed her so much it hurt. He promised himself he would do anything to save her.

Horatio soared over the bluffs, and landed, going human. He looked around. Cronamus was nowhere in sight. A woman's scream tore his attention toward the ocean. Calliegh was there, being suspended by a black chain over some sharp rocks. Behind her, Cronamus sneered.

Ugly black clouds rolled over what little light that had struggled bravely through the darkness to be called daylight. Everything became basked in surreal light, like before a big thunderstorm. The wind picked up in a mournful wail. A crack of thunder sounded off followed by a flash of whit light, which illuminated Calliegh's face. Streaks of tears covered her face, showing she had been crying.

"Calliegh! Did he hurt you?" Horatio screamed, unable to contain his rage any longer.

"I'm okay, for now, H!" Calliegh called back, "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'll have you down in no time, ma'am! Cronamus! You wanted a fight, so here it comes!" Horatio took a graceful leap off the cliff, going wolf in the process. He slammed into Cronamus, and tore into the Demigod's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. Calliegh screamed. Eric shot over to her. Horatio spun around to face him.

"Eric! I ordered you not to follow me!" Horatio screamed.

"I'll get Calliegh out of here! You fight Cronamus!" Eric responded, clawing at the chain. It glowed purple, causing Calliegh to scream.

"Do you think I honestly can be defeated?" Cronamus asked, healing himself.

"No fair!" Eric cried, "Calliegh, you okay?"

"I'll live." Calliegh groaned, "Just don't shock me like that again."

"Why yes, I do." This time, Horatio lit his horn, and dove, impaling Cronamus in the chest. Once again, Cronamus healed himself.

"I said I can not be defeated. I am an immortal. Immortals can never die." Cronamus hissed, "My turn."

His hands changed over to talons, and he sank them into Horatio's side. Horatio twisted, and tore into Cronamus's body with his claws. The bitter enemies broke apart, only to clash again and again. Horatio sank his teeth into Cronamus's neck, only to get thrown into the cliff. He staggered to his feet.

"You need us, Horatio! You can't win on your own! I wasn't the only one who followed you! The others are here! This is an order we refuse to follow! Admit you need our help!" Eric cried, giving the chain one final tug. It broke, releasing Calliegh. He dove down to catch her on his back, "You are free!"

"Thanks, Eric. Cronamus has my crystal. I'm useless to you guys now." Calliegh said, "I can't even call forward a mini penknife!"

"Eric, there is a reason I didn't want you to follow me. I don't think I'm going to survive the battle. Since you guys are here, Frank, lets bio merge!" Horatio cried.

Frank, followed by the rest of the team, came out of hiding.

"We couldn't let you have all the fun, now, could we." Natalia said.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you guys. I asked that I would not be followed." Horatio smiled, "I'm glad you all are here. I realized my mistake. I can't stand on my own. I need you here, helping me fight Cronamus. Are you with me?"

"I'm with ya!" Ryan said, "Lets give Cronamus what he wants!"

"You want to bio merge?" Frank asked.

"Lets do it!" Horatio agreed.

Wolf and Lion glowed. Seconds later, wolf and lion became one. They had the body of a lion, with the head, and tail of a wolf. They had Horatio's wings, with Franks horn. Silver wolf fur mixed through golden lion fur. A reddish silver fringe framed their face.

"Not the biomerged form of Cain and Leo, known as Leowolf, again!" Cronamus screamed.

"Cronamus, you've tormented this world long enough! It's time you return to the fires of Hell!" Leowolf snarled, lunging into battle. The others joined in the fray. Leowolf tore into Cronamus's neck, only to watch it heal as fast as he damaged it.

"Give up, Cronamus! You're surrounded!" Ryan screamed, swiping a massive paw at Cronamus's neck.

"Oh really?" Cronamus sneered, "I have the emerald of Orina. Watch at what I can become."

Black armor covered Cronamus's body, and his wings remained the same, except for the sheet of armor platting covering them. His hands converted over to talons dripping in poison. His teeth became fangs dripping in blood. The Demigod growled, and lunged at Leowolf. Leowolf skirted out of harms way. He faked a left, and snaked to the right, raking his claws on Cronamus's shoulder armor.

"What's wrong, pussy cat? Can't damage armor without breaking a claw?" Cronamus let out an evil crackle.

"Laugh while you can, Cronamus. It's your last one." Leowolf lowered his horn, and charged.

Cronamus was prepared, and sank his talons into Leowolf's neck. He began to squeeze the life out of Leowolf. Leowolf's eyes bulged, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. His tongue lolled out of his gapping mouth. His chest shuddered as he tried to breathe.

"Leowolf's in trouble! He needs us! Natalia, stay close to Calliegh! She needs protection now that she is no longer like us!" Ryan screamed, attacking Cronamus's talon tipped hand.

Calliegh opened her mouth to object, but thought better of it as she realized that Ryan was right. Natalia landed beside her, and protected her from harm.

Cronamus screamed, Ryan hanging on to his hand with his mouth. Eric sank his claws into Cronamus's face. Alexx studied the armor, and formed an idea.

"Hey guys! Get Leowolf to safety while I cook the demon tin can!" She called, setting herself ablaze. She sank her talons into Cronamus's shoulders, and forced herself to burn hotter and brighter. The smell of melting metal filled the air, and Alexx felt hands on her body. She was sent flying into the side of the cliff, where she burned into ashes, and resurrected herself. Cronamus howled, his armor forever burned into his skin. Leowolf rose, and prepared to charge. Cronamus, his face contorted by rage, hurled a mighty spell at the lion wolf. Leowolf didn't have time to react. The deadly dark energy blasted across the landscape, and sent Leowolf skyward. When he hit the ground, his body separated into Frank in lion form, and Horatio in wolf form. Frank didn't move.

"Frank!" Alexx ran to the lion, and healed him.

Horatio was already up and running. Pain stabbed at him every time he breathed, and his arm was clearly broken. He pushed the pain aside, and focused on the battle. He sprang into the air, and with a powerful thrust from his wings, he soared toward Cronamus. Seconds later, he dug his claws into demon flesh.

"One shall fall, one shall stand, once this day is through, Cronamus." the wolf spat between clenched teeth.

"Oh really? I tire of this." Cronamus sneered, shrugging Horatio off of him. With lightening speed, he shot toward Calliegh, flinging Natalia aside like a rag doll. Just has he gripped her shoulder, Natalia was on him again.

"Eat energy, creep!" Natalia lit her horn, and released a wave of energy at Cronamus, sweeping him off his feet.

"That wont stop me!" Cronamus raised a hand, and gathered the energy into the palm of his hand. Natalia's eyes widened in horror as she realized where that energy was going to go. Cronamus released it. Horatio charged, trying to get to them in time to stop what he knew was going to happen. Natalia screamed.

"NOOOO!" Horatio flung himself into the blast.

Time slowed down. Natalia felt paws on her sides, pulling her away from the light. She struggled, until the owner of the paws ordered her to stop. Calliegh felt Cronamus let go, and she felt herself falling. She realized with a sickening feeling in her gut that she had fallen off the cliffs, and she was going to be fish food in about five seconds. It wasn't the sharp rocks her body hit, but the soft feathery down of a large bird. Milliseconds later, she realized that she was on Alexx's back. The Phoenix climbed up into the sky. The light died down. Cronamus was nowhere to be seen. A gray lump of bloody fur and wings lay motionless near the explosion site. Alexx screeched in horror. Calliegh felt her stomach do flip flops. Ryan got to the downed wolf first, and let out a mournful howl into the sky. Alexx landed, and Calliegh took off running.

"No! Dear God no!" Calliegh reached Horatio as the others joined her.

The wolf's eyes fluttered open, and Horatio gasped in agony. Slowly, he went human. Something was clearly wrong. His injuries did not heal. Horatio gasped again.

"Ahh… I'm not going to make it." He whispered, before groaning as a fresh bout of agony swept through him.

"No! Don't talk like that, H! You will survive! Please! Fight!" Natalia sobbed.

"It's okay, Natalia. Where I'm going, I'll get to see Speed, and Marisol again. I'll get to watch over you all." Horatio's breathing grew weaker.

"But Horatio!" Alexx let her tears fall, "We need you!" Her tears did not work.

"Now don't be selfish, Alexx. I promise, I'll always be there for you, for all of you. Ahh… this is it… Good bye, my friends…" Horatio's eyes fluttered closed forever. His chest struggled, but at last, it too, settled into deaths cold embrace. Horatio was gone.

"I killed him!" Natalia sobbed, "I killed Horatio!"

Ryan wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "No, Nat. This was his destiny. He sacrificed himself just like Cain did back in the Roman Empire. He saved you." Ryan sighed, "He protected you."

"What will we tell the public? They ain't gonna believe that a demigod killed Horatio." Frank asked, his voice heavy.

"Leave that to me." Alexx whispered, "His injuries look like they might have been sustained in a car crash."

"Okay, Rick's gonna ask how Horatio got out here. Nearest road is five miles that way." Frank replied, pointing west.

"I know! it's a body dump! A pair of hikers found it, and called it in!" Ryan called out, getting dirty looks from everyone.

"One problem. Our prints cover the crime scene. Rick'll fry us, and serve us for dinner." Eric retorted.

"Guys, we have nothing to worry about. Take a look at the crime scene. It reads that Horatio was in an accident." Calliegh said, "Lets go, and wait for the call. We better not show any grief until after he is found."

Calliegh rode Alexx, and they returned to the lab. They tried to behave normally. Natalia filed a missing persons report on Horatio, and put out a call on the Service Hummer he was using. The Hummer turned up first, in a near by town. A massive search turned up Horatio. Alexx did the autopsy, and wrote it off as death by car accident. Rick reopened the investigation with the finding that Horatio had tried to escape from someone. It turned into a dead lead. The case was closed for good. Several days went by. Horatio's funeral came up.

Ryan sat on the couch in the break room. He, and everyone else were wearing their dress uniforms. He felt something break inside of him, and let the tears come. This was it. Horatio was gone, and never coming back. He curled into a ball, and the flood gates opened. Alexx, wearing a black dress, came in and sat beside him.

"Ryan, its okay. He's in a better place, now. He doesn't hurt anymore." Alexx soothed, stroking the young CSI's hair in an effort to calm him.

"It's not that, Alexx! He's not coming back! It hurts so much!" Ryan sobbed.

Eric and Calliegh came in.

"You two coming?" Eric asked, his voice dead of any emotion. He had cried himself out days ago. Calliegh's eyes were red and puffy.

"We will be along in a few minutes." Alexx said, "Ryan, it hurts for all of us. Lets go."

Rick walked in, his gaze low, and it looked like he had done some crying of his own. Ryan glared at him.

"This is your fault, you know!" he hissed.

"Do you think I don't know that? I thought he would succeed! I never thought the guy would die! I blame myself! I came to turn myself in! I'm the Slasher! It was me killing those people! I'm sorry I did it! I will redeem myself one way or another! I'm going to change my ways! I'm no longer going to serve Cronamus! It was a big mistake! Can you forgive me?" Rick cried, panting as he finished his rant.

"In honor of Horatio, Rick, you are under arrest for the murders of nine people. You know the Miranda rights, correct?" Ryan stood, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Rick turned, and pulled his arms behind his back.

"I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be used in a court of law. I have the right to an attorney. If I can't afford one, one will be assigned to me by a court of law. Yes, I understand my rights." Rick recited.

Ryan led him away to a holding cell, "You are going to pay for your mistakes. I don't think I can ever forgive you. You took Horatios life away." Ryan slammed and locked the door. His heart lightened, and he smiled, "You are never far from us, aren't you, H?" he could have sworn he heard Horatio's voice saying yes.

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**Queen Sunstar: I know, I said it would be two weeks. What happened was my laptops hard drive fried, and I lost the chapter. I sent my Laptop to Geek Squad, and they were able to replace it, and save everything on onto the new hard drive. My office computer crashed two days after my laptop did, and I lost everything on it, including the outlines for the next two parts of the trilogy. I was forced to go five days without a computer, and another four without internet service. To complicate maters more, my laptops AC adapter shorted out, and I had to wait a week for a new one from Dell. I did invest in a new Dell computer, which works great, and I've finished the chapter at last. I'll get the epilogue up and the first chapter of new Hero rising, sometime before Christmas, I promise!**

**Rick: (Sobbing) That was so sad! **

**Ryan: Yes! I got to arrest Settler! I'm good! I'm good! I'm so good!**

**Rick: (Still sobbing) Don't you care that she killed Horatio?**

**Ryan: Oh yeah. (Sobs)**

**Alexx: leave us some reviews, please! We want to hear from you!**


	12. Epilogue

Speedle waited nervously. Soon, the ancient pearly Gate would open, admitting the newly dead souls lucky enough to enter Heaven. Speedle came every week to check and see if anyone he knew had died. From his vantage point, he could see the gurgling maw that was the doorway to Hell. Every so often, the inside of the opening lit up as a puff of fire escaped Hell. An Archangel read from the list of names, and where they were to go. A group of Night Angels waited near by to drag the unfortunate souls off to Hell. A Night Angel is an angel with black wings, and has the ability to enter and leave Hell.

"Adam Lee Baker, Hell!" The Archangel called. One of the Night Angels responded, and carted the soul off to Hell.

"Forthysia Cafreal! Heaven!" The Archangel called. This time, the soul was allowed to walk up to the great Pearly Gates, and instructed to wait.

"Horatio Caine!" Speedle froze, "Heaven!" Speedle prayed it wasn't who he thought it was. He watched as the red headed man walked toward the Gates. Speedle recognized his best friend instantly.

"Horatio! You've died?" Speedle ran to his best friend.

"I've noticed." Horatio said, dryly.

"How did you die?" Speedle asked.

"I sacrificed myself to save Natalia." Horatio said, "I couldn't defeat Cronamus, sorry."

"This isn't good, H. Come. It's time you heard the whole story." Speedle said, "You weren't supposed to die."

Horatio followed, and felt an itch between his shoulder blades. He reached to scratch it, and his hand hit wing. He felt the wing. Speed stopped, and turned.

"Now's not the time to explore your wings, H! wait, wings? You can't have wings! You aren't even an angel, yet!" Speedle cried out, "Hey, they are bigger then mine are, and I'm an arch angel!"

Horatio's wings were large, gray, and quite impressive looking. Horatio ran his hand down through the soft down. They reminded him of his wolf wings, and he felt a pang of grief as he remembered his life. He followed Speed toward a brick mansion.

"Home sweet eternal home." Speed opened the door, and was greeted by both Adien and Marisol.

"Horatio? You've died?" Marisol asked.

"I did, by my own hand. No, Adien, not suicide. I sacrificed myself. I couldn't defeat Cronamus." Horatio said in greeting.

"Speed, this is bad. The Lord is gonna buzz you right about now." Adien said, as Speeds pager buzzed, "We'll handle Horatio."

Speed nodded, and took off.

"Horatio, come with us." Marisol led him into a sitting room, "You are going to want to sit down for this." Horatio sat obediently, "You were never supposed to die so soon."

"Why?" Horatio asked.

"Its because of the Prophecy." Adien said.

"What Prophecy?" Horatio asked.

"Have you heard about the Avenger?" Marisol asked.

"No, I haven't heard about it, but I did hear Shade mention it once." Horatio said.

"You are the Avenger. All hope is lost, now. We have been defeated." Adien turned to the window, and screamed, "Its starting!"

Marisol joined her, "The heavens! Its going dark! The war! Its been lost!"

"No, it isn't over. We can fight them up here. Its not over. Its only over when you say its over!" Horatio cried out, joining them at the window, "Who is with me?"

"We can't fight them, H! There's no way!" Marisol cried, "All angels are powerless! We have no powers!"

"You say I'm the Avenger, right? I can fight them, right?" Horatio was grabbing at straws, and he knew it.

"No. even the Avenger is powerless here." Marisol said softly.

"So it is hopeless then." Horatio felt helpless for the second time in his existence.

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"Holy crap…" Ryan stared at the sky.

"It's getting darker…" Eric added.

The sky above them rolled and thundered. The darkness grew thicker, blocking out the last of the light. Darkness had finally secured its hold over the planet. Manhole covers slid back noisily, and thousands of demons climbed up to the streets. A low rumble started, and grew louder as the demons celebrated their return to the surface.

"Oh my lord, look at them all!" Ryan wailed.

"We need Horatio." Eric responded, "but he's dead."

"How are we going to win?" Ryan asked.

"May be we were never going to win. Fighting for the light has become a lost cause. This is our world now. There's nothing we can do, now. It's over, Ryan. We lost." Eric turned away from the mass of demons in the street.

"No. I'm still going to fight for the light. Its what Horatio would have wanted." Ryan stormed toward the demons. Eric sighed, shook his head, and followed Ryan toward an impossible battle.

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**Queen Sunstar: Part one is over! Look for the next installment, **_**New Hero Rising**_**, coming this Christmas! See ya then!**

**Rick: Review!**


	13. Hiatus Notice, Updates

**Queen Sunstar**: Greetings! This is just an update. I had to put several stories on hiatus, due to my recent illness, and college work. I'm taking a winter course on writing, and the work load is huge. You'd be surprised at how much the professor assigns us for homework on a daily basis. This only means that the Trilogy will be on hiatus until late spring, early summer. Also, this will give me time to write out the first few chapters. For the authors I beta read for, expect some delays. I am doing the best I can. I am going to be nice and add a summery of the next part of the Trilogy. 

**New Hero Rising**

Horatio Caine is dead. All hope appears to be lost as the darkness deepens. The CSI's find out that Cronamus is not the only one they should be worried about. The very darkness that has consumed the light is in fact, an ancient demon. Just whose side is the Dark Trinity on, anyway, and why do they want to raise Horatio? Why is Rick Settler a good guy all of the sudden?

**Queen Sunstar**: This is just temporary. I need some breathing room. This will also lessen the load on my plate. I'll be back and raring to go at the end of spring. Plus, my writers wall will be gone, so I'll be able to pump out new ideas. See ya'll at the end of spring!

--

**Queen Sunstar**: There is no excuse for my laziness. I have to push my deadline for New Hero Rising, again. I promise, I will update by October, the latest. Promise! My reasons for failing the summer deadline are sister's wedding, surgery on left wrist, writers wall, novel, online college deadlines, job, and did I mention, writers wall? I'm not giving up on the story, honest! I've been way too busy with my own novel, and I will update it again! You have my honor on this!


	14. news

**Queen Sunstar: It has been years now, hasn't it? I have made up my mind. I am completely revamping the story. It will be better then before. Each chapter will be nice and long, and much better written. I have tons of Ideas and can't wait to start. It will be an all new story, and this one will be deleted. **

**RICK: you mean I'm not going to get to be the hero?**

**Queen Sunstar: You will get your turn to be the hero, Rick. Kyle Caine, Walter Simmons, and Jesse Cardoza will be in it, as will Dr. Tom Loman. Alex Woods is not going to be in it as will Speed, and Marisol. It will be much better then this one. Also, It won't be a trilogy. New Hero Rising is going to be a chapter title instead. Well, look for Dark Force coming soon!**


End file.
